Savoy – Under

When he is not knitting compositions for A-ha, Paul Waaktaar-Savoy does not abandon music and returns for his Savoy project, with a nuanced and successful Under.

Aerial chords, ghostly inhabited songs, calm sea atmosphere, Savoy plays the nuance card for its introduction with the catchy and delicate “Lonely Surfer”. However, the journey offered by the Norwegian trio will not only be on a smooth sea, as the ten pieces are intended to be varied and surprising. Thus, the voices of the Savoy couple intertwine in a ghostly atmosphere on the soaring “Station”, to better assert themselves over the sustained rhythm of the title track. Lauren Savoy casually leads the dance on the mysterious “Digital River”, and asserts her gentle interpretation on the sunny “Camden Palace Chronicles”.

For his part Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, known as the guitarist of A-ha, is versatile both on vocals and on guitar, supporting the percussion marked by “X Marks the Spot” or abandoning himself to the pleasures of the nostalgia on “Life and Times of a Wannabe” and its deliciously 80’s atmosphere. Benefiting from a strong identity, with some inspiration from the Beatles during the Sgt. Pepper which can stand out on “Pure As Driven Snow”, Savoy is making a very pleasant comeback after six years without releasing a record. With a simple and direct title, Under is an album in which the musicians allow themselves everything, without ever forgetting to craft their compositions with care and nuance. Knowing how to both take their time while remaining concise, the trio takes pleasure in finding their audience, which the latter would be wrong not to share.

Find this column on Savoy in WECB l’Hebdo n°149, available via our online store.

Below is available

Here is the tracklist: