Future Hopes by White Willow

Their first album, Ignis Fatuus (1995), is considered a classic of the genre: a dark and pastoral atmosphere that blends Norwegian folk, Genesis influences and gothic sounds, with the Mellotron and flutes as the protagonists.  With records such as Ex Tenebris and Sacrament, the band moved closer to heavier and more contemporary sounds, incorporating elements of gothic rock and jazz-fusion. In this period the collaboration with the singer Sylvia Erichsen was strengthened, whose voice became the distinctive feature of the group for several years. Their fourth album, Storm Season (2004), represents a moment of great international success, with thousands of copies sold and concerts in important festivals. With Signal to Noise (2006), the band experimented with a more "pop" and accessible sound, while maintaining the complexity of their compositions. After a brief hiatus, they returned in 2011 with Terminal Twilight, an album that Holm-Lupo describes as "prog-pulp", a mix of classic prog with new wave and art-rock influences.

The music of this band is almost always pervaded by a typically Nordic melancholy.  They have always had exceptional vocalists, such as Sara Trondal, Sylvia Erichsen and Venke Knutson.  Among the members of the band there was also Lars Fredrik Frøislie, of whom I have already spoken at length for his projects with the Wobbler, as a solo artist and for The Chronicles of Father Robin.  Today Jacob Holm-Lupo is a renowned sound engineer, which ensures their albums a very high sound quality, a quality that I have already praised for his mixing work for Agropelter (on the album "The Book Of Hours").

After a long period of inactivity, in 2017 they released "Future Hopes", their seventh studio album, where the influence of 80s synthesizers, in particular the Yamaha CS-80, becomes predominant. Since then the band has not released any more records or played concerts, but officially it has not broken up.  I sincerely hope for their return.

This album marks the return of the group after six years of silence since the previous "Terminal Twilight" (2011). The release was delayed for about two years to allow artist Roger Dean, famous for Yes covers, to complete the original painting commissioned specifically for the album.

Multi-instrumentalist and founder Jacob Holm-Lupo began composing the songs two years before release, at a time of deep pessimism about the direction the world was taking.  As time went on, the title "Future Hopes" became almost ironic for the author, reflecting a gloomy vision of the future, while allowing a glimpse of hope founded on the strength of human bonds.

The most important change in the line-up was the arrival of Venke Knutson in place of the historic singer Sylvia Erichsen.  While Erichsen had a more theatrical and dramatic style, Knutson brought a crystalline, pop timbre, which Jacob Holm-Lupo found ideal for balancing the album's long and intricate instrumental suites.  Among the musicians there is also Hedvig Mollestad, credited as a guest, whose jazz-rock guitar greatly influenced the group's sound. His "dirty" and aggressive solos create an interesting contrast with the electronic and symphonic textures.

Jacob Holm-Lupo, with his guitars and an infinite number of vintage synthesizers (including the Yamaha CS-80), and Mattias Olsson on drums and vintage percussion (formerly Änglagård), are the beating heart of the band. Ellen Andrea Wang continues to play bass after the experience of the previous album, guaranteeing a jazzy and solid rhythm section, while Lars Fredrik Frøislie still collaborates, taking care of the organ parts and analog keyboards more typically "seventies".

Mine is the vinyl edition The Laser's Edge (LE1078-LP)

"Future Hopes" is a modern and super atmospheric electro-prog piece.  Jacob Holm-Lupo says that the song is all about the Yamaha CS-80, with those warm, pulsating sounds. Venke Knutson's voice tiptoes in, almost like an instrument, while Mattias Olsson's drumming adds a touch of unpredictability.

"Silver and Gold" is a delicate and dreamy folk-prog ballad. It is the most bucolic moment of the album, which takes us back to the White Willow of the 90s. Ellen Andrea Wang gives a deep warmth to the bass that sustains acoustic guitars. Here Knutson's voice is the protagonist, clear and reassuring, perfectly balanced by Ketil Einarsen's flutes.

"In Dim Days" there is a modern symphonic suite with references to the German Kosmische Musik.  The song alternates moments of calm with explosions of almost hard-prog energy.  Hedvig Mollestad is the star, with her jazz-rock guitar solo breaking the monotony of synthesizers. Lars Fredrik Frøislie adds an orchestral Mellotron that gives the song an epic sound.

"Where There Was Sea There Is Abyss" is an Ambient/Dark-Wave instrumental interlude.  It serves as a "bridge" to the next track. It's almost all a sound design work by Holm-Lupo. Synthesizers create a sense of emptiness and infinite space, showing how experienced he is as a sound engineer.

"A Scarred View" is the highlight of the album, a sumptuous prog suite. It mixes Vangelis' science fiction with classic progressive rock from the 70s. Mattias Olsson gives a screaming performance, using vintage percussion to create rhythmic textures that change continuously. Holm-Lupo runs a mountain of analog keyboards that build an imposing wall of sound. Venke Knutson manages the long instrumental pauses with class, returning with vocal melodies that give a human touch to an otherwise cold and technological sound context. H. Mollestad returns with sharp guitar interventions.

The album is a mix of styles that Jacob Holm-Lupo described as a meeting between classical symphonic prog and the electronic sound design of the 70s and 80s. Unlike the previous albums, closer to folk or gothic rock, here the protagonist is the Yamaha CS-80, the same synthesizer used by Vangelis for "Blade Runner", which gives the album a dreamlike, spatial and cinematic atmosphere. The use of Venke Knutson's crystalline voice (coming from pop) on typically prog structures (songs that exceed 18 minutes) creates a particular effect.  Thanks to Hedvig Mollestad, the album features almost improvised and aggressive guitar explosions, which break the soft textures of the synthesizers, approaching darker fusion at times.

Great Album!

My Version

Label: The Laser's Edge – LE1078-LP
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Release date: Mar 31, 2017

Tracklist

1. Future Hopes (4:30)
2. Silver and Gold (4:04)
3. In Dim Days (11:04)
4. Where There Was Sea There Is Abyss (1:59)
5. A Sacred View (18:16)

LineUp

Basso – Ellen Andrea Wang

Drums, Percussion, E-Bow, Sounds, Sounds – Mattias Olsson

Electronic Wind Instrument [Wind Controller], Flute – Ketil Vestrum Einarsen

Guitar – Hedvig Mollestad*, Ole Øvstedal

Guitar [Guitars], Synthesizers [Synthesizers], Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Jacob Holm-Wolf

Synthesizer [Synthesizers], Keyboards – Lars Fredrik Frøislie

Trumpet – Kjersti Løken

Voce – Venke Knutson

Listening link on the main streaming platforms at the following links:

Streaming Platforms

Spotify: Complete album with the 7 tracks, including the bonus tracks.

YouTube Music: Official playlist of the album.

Apple Music: Standard version available to subscribers.

Deezer: Complete catalog available in streaming. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Purchase and High Quality

Bandcamp (White Willow): Includes bonus tracks and unlimited streaming via app for those who purchase the digital album.

Bandcamp (The Laser's Edge): Version distributed by the label, also available in High-Res 24/96 format. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Note: All links to the musicians’ works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists"