An intriguing and lengthy song from a forthcoming album by (Johan) Israelson is released today on the Novoton label, complete with a tasty video for your delectation.
‘Brother’ is a duet with friend and fellow musician Markus Mustonen.
Apparently this is the long version of the song and weighs in at over seven minutes.
It truly is a little tour-de-force this one, straight from the off with its nymph-like Juilliard ballet dancers performing amongst what could be Roman or Greek ruins or more recently, those of the desolately overpopulated, blood-soaked home of the Prince of Peace, to employ two fabulous oxymorons coined by P J O’Rourke about the Holy Land, 35 years ago, when it was in the same mess it’s in today.
It has an opening passage that might be a Mike Oldfield cut which then morphs into a passable guitar riff impersonation of ‘Wonderwall’. And that Oldfield influence continues at it enters a dreamy extended acoustic guitar bridge with synthesised underlay before playing out to a cinematic ending in which he invites the brother – and listener – to join him with his head in the clouds but feet on the ground.
There is a suggestion there of some religious significance, I really don’t know for sure. What I do know is that both Israelson and the video maker, Mina Oldmark, are experts at generating, imagining and telling stories.
I’m not fond of the adjective ‘rich’, which is overused in my opinion but this is, both sonically and visually.
A welcome discovery and one whose album is now highly anticipated.
Find him on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johan.israelson.3
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johanisraelson/
Video and image by the artist Mina E Oldmark .
2 Responses
Thank You / Johan Israelson
David ! Thank you for your kind words about my video 😀 / Mina E Oldmark