Tag: Børge Sildnes

It isn’t his real name, of course, but it caught my attention and I bet it caught yours, too. Børge Sildnes is Norwegian, although you wouldn’t know it from his singing or writing. He sounds younger than he looks in his cover photo but I think that’s because he is younger. This is his third album and his first to get a full UK release. He’s not prolific and it has taken a while to get to this point, something perhaps explained in ‘Life As A Father’.

His music is sophisticated, orchestral indie-folk-pop and it is that sophistication that sets him apart from your average singer-songwriter. That and his ability to write a catchy melody that still suits a serious lyric. The first two songs, ‘Castaway’ and ‘Come Tomorrow, are both perfect blends of words and music, drenched with strings and decorated with percussion. In fact, that’s a fair description of the whole record but don’t get the wrong idea, there is strength in the music.

It’s not a long album, nine tracks running to just over thirty minutes, but I’d rather that than some records that overstay their welcome long before the end. I do wish the lyrics were included, particularly for such songs as ‘The Heart Is a Muscle’, but that brings me to the one fault with the album. Whoever thought that printing in white on beige was a good idea, and I fear it may be Dylan himself, is out to lunch. Dai Jeffries

Artist’s website: www.dylanmondegreen.com