Girl In Red, Morgan Sulele and Underground

… and the first taste of the forthcoming Motorpsycho album: Here is the weekend sound.

Girl In Red – “Girlfriend Is Better”

Marie Ulven is not resting on her laurels: Two weeks after the not too difficult second album “I’m Doing It Again Baby!” she contributes to the Talking Heads tribute album “Everyone’s Getting Involved”, which comes on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the iconic concert film “Stop Making Sense”. The wolf has chosen “Girlfriend Is Better” from “Speaking In Tongues” (1983), and she does a cool and nice version – although not quite on par with the nervously energetic and intensely danceable original.

Hillary – “New Beginnings”

The Norwegian-Filipino r&b singer Hillari Alison Conlu has been the talk of the local pop public for several years, and the 19-year-old crowned last year by drawing the longest straw in the Untouchable final. “New Beginnings” is yet another confirmation that all the commotion has something to do with it: Here, an organic and intimate soul ballad gets enough time and air to expand its considerable wingspan, and the chorus in particular is lovely.

Also read: Record Review: Girl In Red – “I’m Doing It Again Baby!”: Long live the optimism!

Underground – “Think soul”

Undergrunn is here with its annual spring release – more precisely the cleverly titled EP “Norge loves rap”. The release’s obvious hit is “Tenke sjæl”, which leans heavily towards Trond-Viggo Torgersen’s 1981 album of the same name. “They think UG has become a bit too pop, a bit too wack/ when it’s us who made Norway fall in love with rap”, reports Marstein at the start, but otherwise there are few lines that hang in the air after these two minutes and 40 seconds has ebbed away. To stick to the terminology: This tastes more like cheap sparkling wine than Veuve Clicquot.

Motorpsycho – “Psycholab”

Exactly how many Motorpsycho records there have actually been since the start in 1989 is a calculation exercise that requires more time and expertise than the undersigned possesses. The band themselves claim that album number 32 will soon be unleashed on the world, and the folk and kraut-flirting taster “Psycholab” suggests that some of the lightness from its predecessor “Yay!” is taken care of. A catchy pop melody threatens to implode in the foggy soundscape, and this is primarily a very solid appetizer.

Also read: Album Review Taylor Swift – “The Tortured Poets Department”: The League of Glowing Hearts

Morgan Sulele – “Over You”

The lowest point has thus been reached in thieving, sleazy and disgusting Norwegian pop. Here, Morgan Sulele weaves the entire hook from The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony” – one of the 90s’ most defining songs – without adding anything vaguely reminiscent of musical value in return. These are basically stringers that can save lives. Here they are reduced to mindless and provocative rubbish.

Bel Canto & Sondre Lerche – “Virginia”

When Anneli Drecker and Nils Johansen release the first Bel Canto record in 22 years, it’s worth pricking up your ears. The northern Norwegian duo is still the closest we can get to a Norwegian Cocteau Twins, and “Radiant Green” sounds at first glance like a worthy addition to a slightly underrated catalogue. Just check out the beautiful Sondre Lerche duet “Virginia”, which kindly but firmly pushes the mind towards The Blue Nile and similar sophistry pop.