Husky Rescue
Ghost is not Real
Catskills Records, 2007
By Lonny Knapp
“Unlike the current vogue for singer-songwriters who tell stories about things that start and end in the real world, we love musical tales that open doors to other worlds,” states Marko Nyberg, founder of Husky Rescue, on the band’s website
Husky Rescue is Anssi Sopanen on drums, Miika Colliander on guitar, Reeta-Leena Korhola on vocals, and Marko Nyberg on bass. Together, these Finns make music that is simple, yet symphonic. Their debut album, Country Falls, was warmly received by critics and made die-hard fans out of many listeners on the first spin. Two years later, Husky Rescue return with Ghost is Not Real, an album that builds on the warm, breezy sound of their debut, but this time incorporates an underlying chill.
“Cinematic” is the word most often used to describe Husky Rescue’s music. While the leadoff track, “My Home Ghost”, is spooky in its sparseness, it is “Blueberry Tree”, a three-part suite that inhabits the middle of the record, which best fits this description.
The trilogy begins with twenty-year-old singer Rita-Leena Korhola bidding good morning to the sun while symphonic sounds are introduced and layered, creating an atmospheric meadow before giving way, in a rush of sound, to silence. Part two is a more upbeat variation on the theme, and features smooth, country-tinged string bending by guitarist Miika Colliander. The final installment, an instrumental, is the darkest of the three: percussion is introduced and, as the drums build, the tempo increases. It creates a sense of urgency until the crescendo, when the group locks into a triumphant groove. Though they share the same simple chord progression and melody, each movement is a distinct piece that could stand well enough alone. When taken as a whole, the piece is epic.
Not all the tracks on the album are so serious. “Caravan” and “Hurricane (Don’t Come Knocking)” are tracks that would sound at home on mainstream “alternative” radio, and “Nightless Night” is a bouncy, upbeat number that provides lightness to balance the weight of the album.
The album is not without fault. The unfortunate spoken-word segments in tracks “Shadow Run” and “Silent Woods” highlight the fact that English is not Korhola’s native tongue. Her lyrics, though simple, are charming when delivered in her elfish singing voice — but when executed in an ever-so-serious poetic voice, they quickly lose their charm and end up sounding childish and corny.
Husky Rescue inform their songs with a less-is-more sensibility. The production is far from slick and they stay away from processed digital sound, instead filling the album with thick, organic, lo-fi tones, adding layer upon layer of sound until each track is lush. The density of the production ensures that Ghost is not Real will stand up to multiple listens: there is plenty of ear candy to be discovered in subsequent spins. It’s a testament to the songwriting ability of musical director Marko Nyberg that the songs don’t get lost in the aural soundscape; the strength of his simple songwriting will leave you frantically searching for the rewind button on your MP3 player as soon as the album ends.
