Finnish psych folk ensemble Paavoharju gives us an online album that defies description. Its strange and beautiful sounds borrow profusely from Finnish traditional music, ambient and trip-hop electronics, and even medieval hymns and chorales. There is a spiritual quality to this music that draws you in. The first track, “Nuo Maisemat” pits a phantom-like vocal against a wall of haunting sounds. “Kuljin Kauas” is recorded live and is the most rock-oriented track off the session while the acoustic “Pepe” is a gorgeous ballad which I suspect may be a traditional song. But more intriguing to me are the tracks that push the folk label envelope such as “Tartu Tahan Hetkeen”. It is a mysterious collage of street noises, hypnotically repetitive organ lines, and voice samples. The range of sounds varies from track to track but it remains a suprisingly coherent and complete work.

The album is available in 192kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music, I urge you to support this unusual and unique group by buying their CDs.

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