Elephant Love Song
TOURBO, 2022
9/10
The Danish singer/pianist Adina Luumu pens 10 songs following the death of a close friend, where her Nordic roots are front and center, and folk and jazz nods aren’t that far away, either, as she’s joined by Simon Iten (double bass, synth, E-bass) and Andy Shelker (drums, glockenspiel), plus others.
“All That’s Left” opens the listen with soft, poetic singing, where the mesmerizing keys unfold amid the dreamy, wordless moments of sublime song craft, and “The Castle” follows with soulful backing vocals and Shelker’s light drumming complementing the reflective mood.
Halfway through, “Fragments” illustrates hypnotic piano playing and expressive singing in the swirling climate, while “Circle Of Existence” is a more upbeat offering that benefits from Florian Pittet’s well timed backing vocals.
Close to the end, the stirring strings from Gabriel Miranda Martínez (violin), Christina Mozer (violin), Shih-Yu Tang (viola) and Anna Jeger (cello) help cultivate a lush album highlight, and “The Hope Of Fools” exits with a powerful and elegant display of Luumu’s stunning voice and very captivating piano prowess.
Also in attendance are Patricia Brogli (flute), Nils Fischer (sax, bass clarinet), Sonja Ott (trumpet) and Simon Petermann (trombone), and together under Luumu’s cautious and gorgeous vision, the songs here are so very charming and emotionally gripping in a way that’s orchestral, surreal and memorable.
Travels well with: Kosmos Trio- Brev til en ven; Bttrfly Quintet- Coast