The first time I saw Jens Carelius was at a small festival hidden in the woods of Odalen, in the southeast of Hedmark, and what an experience it was. It was electrifying. The sun was going down, his music was great as always, the tones were floating, and it was like the music came from the spruces and pine trees themself.
This new album, The Beat of The Travel, is electric, unlike his first album, The First Songs, which was more of a Nick Drake-, Mississippi John Hurt- and Bert Janch-experience, recorded on a two-track tape-recorder. The second album is still quite organic. It’s recorded completely on tape, but it has a much larger and electric sound with even brass- and choir-sections. The sound and songs are quite inspired by the british folk-scene and bands like Pentangle, Fairport Convention and The Incredible String Band.
The album starts with the acoustic title-track “The Beat of The Travel” which is like a preludium. Especially when it comes to the lyrics, it really sets the tone of the whole album. The lyrics are a bit floating and a bit Beat, but still, they make sense. A lot of sense!
Since The First Songs, I believe that he’s really grown as a songwriter. He has matured and gained a personal sound, which is more folksy, less blues-inspired, and he really made the step from acoustic to electric in a perfect way, just like Bob Dylan. I also want to give credit to his band, which have done a great job. The guitarist, Øyvind Røsrud Gundersen (he also plays keys on both of Jens’ albums) is always tasty, with a great tone. The drums, played by Marius Simonsen, are always lying in the background, filling many different parts, not too much in the back, and not too much in the front either. Not to mention the fantastic bass player, Kristian Berg, who is everywhere, always doing something, but still never playing too much.
All in all, the band sound very tight, organic and good, both live and on the album. Still, it isn’t necessarily so that technically great bands give you great songs, but with Jens Carelius’ songwriting, that is never a problem on this album.