Eventually I learned that I already knew Ms. Agassiz as the artist Emma Rustan, whose work I'd previously written about on a couple of occasions here. (e.g. Art Crawl review in 2013)
This spring saw the release of Ingeborg von Agassiz's first CD, evocatively titled O Giver of Dreams, accompanied by a rave review from Tony Bennett in the Duluth News Tribune. The review was titled Album review: Ingeborg von Agassiz astounds on debut LP, and it opens with: Let's just skip to the headline: Ingeborg von Agassiz' debut album is one of the best locally-made albums in the history of locally-made albums. It's true. No hyperbole.
That kind of high praise gets your attention. Sure enough, this past weekend I caught part of her performance at the Bayfront Park Art Fair and acquired a CD. It's every bit as good as Bennett boasts.**
Returning to O Giver of Dreams, Ingeborg von Agassiz has produced something every bit as complex and luscious, from both the production side and the literary quality of the songs themselves.
Dylan, for those who appreciate his work, is a master of evocation when singing. People who dislike his voice fail to appreciate what he achieves in creating emotion through intonation, from haunting to longing, aching to aspiring. Ingeborg von Agassiz is likewise evocative, forming words with deliberate aims on each of her songs.
Von Agassiz at Super Big Block Party 2017. (Photo credit: Andy Hardman) |
Then there are the songs themselves. That is, as a lyricist she has a remarkable maturity. Examples abound.
Lonesome Way
This first song begins, "Come with me. Come with me." Seductive without being sensual, inviting the listener to enter this story, her story. (Keep in mind that it is a song and that historically the narrator of a song may not necessarily be the real person's story. This could be a fictional story, sung first person, the way folk singers sing "Barbara Allen.")
As the opening of the album, it can also be taken as an invitation... "take this journey with me." But it could be simply the invitation of this song. "Come along with me in my lonesome misery..." What an unexpected turn. Already, we have been diverted into a different path from the one expected. Lonesome misery. How? Why? That is what this first song is about, the how it happened and why.
I will make another Dylan comparison here as well. Many of the lyrics have been written with a seemingly measured ambiguity that invites further analysis and reflection. This occurs here and in a few of the other songs.
It should be noted that von Agassiz has produced all the music, all the vocals, the percussion and everything else herself. When she performs she uses looping and layering, much the way Gaelynn Lea or Israel Malachi have been doing over the years. The arrangements are terrifically complex and sophisticated.
At the Earth Rider Grand Opening. |
This song is like the first in that it, too, is in invitation. It's from a child's point of view. What a beautiful morning. Won't you come out and play with me? We can go ride our bikes. We'll climb trees. And I will show you my new dance, if you let me.
Oh, the Hillside
This tune is a change of pace, sung as if a lament, a nostalgia piece. The central theme is the hills of Duluth. The verses outline the Duluth experience, from the hillside to the bells of Old Central, thnd e freighters, the lift bridge going up and down, the howling wind, the lighthouse on the pier, the train chugging by, Fitgers, and the mystery of the Great Lake. The song's straightforward lyrics are beguiliing when juxtaposed with its haunting tune.
Bulletproof Vest
"Going south, south for the winter
That's what I'm gonna do next year."
In an album with so many special tracks it's difficult to pick any one to be your favorite, but this one would certainly be a candidate. It's a solid song with intriguing lyrics sung in a crafted manner that draws you in. An old man, an obituary, a funeral... and a chorus that reinforces a contradiction.
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The lyrics throughout belie their depth, much like Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower."
The CD rounds out with "What's Wrong With Me" and "Will You Go?" and when you reach the end you will want to listen again.
Verdict: O Giver of Dreams is an exceptional achievement.
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Related Links
Follow her here at www.ingeborgvonagassiz.com
or here on Facebook.
**Tony Bennett review in the DNT
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