Round 1: Adrianne Lenker v. Myrkur

[baystateoftheart]

Seed #9:

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Songs by Adrianne Lenker

Nominated by: Mercury
Genres [RYM]: Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter

Seed #12:

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Folkesange by Myrkur

Nominated by: pa
Genres [RYM]: Nordic Folk Music

Instructions:

If you have not already, please listen to both albums in full before voting. Share your thoughts and/or your vote in this thread. This poll will be tallied in no fewer than twenty-eight days. See Tournament Spreadsheet for the full bracket.
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[Purplepash]

Nice pairing here...they go well together.
I am going with Songs but only just (possibly due to more familiarity) as I quite liked both of these about the same.

[EyeKanFly]

[Patman360]

Lenker edges this but I think both are great and both languish in the mid-section of my year chart, maybe should've voted Myrkur as Lenker is clearly a strong favourite here, but couldn't bring myself to go. One of the tougher matchups of this round for sure.
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2023
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[Hayden]

Lenker for me.

Myrkur's a solid choice though.

[Exist-en-ciel]

Folkesange is a good Myrkur album (although I preferred Mareridt) but Songs is superior in my opinion. I vote for Adrianne Lenker.

[Fischman]

Looks like I'm the lone ranger here.

I can see the appeal of Songs for sure, but Folksange.... well, that's just stunning. Stunning I tell you. Best folk album I've heard in a long time. Myrkur seems to be something of a Norwegian Loreena McKennitt.

It's obvious Myrkur will not advance here, but the real joy here is that I've been exposed to a new-to-me artist who has captivated me like very few in recent years. So this game has already proven to be of great value to me. Huge thanks to @pa

[kokkinos]

Oh, what a cute couple, both albums feature a gorgeous aesthetic, which admittedly flies over my head for the most part.
It's close, but Folkesange was more of an oddball and as a result managed to keep me more interested
Folkesange gets my vote.
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[baystateoftheart]

This is indeed a fortuitous matchup. Folkesange is the first Nordic folk album I've heard, and it's beautiful and consistently good. It sounds more similar to Celtic and English folk than I expected, but I suppose that makes sense given all the, um, cultural exchange with the vikings. Again, a language barrier in place, but Myrkur's vocals are strong, and I get the sense that the sound and mood are more important than the words here. They mostly match the cover landscape, which is what makes this so appealing. 3.5/5. It's no match for Adrianne Lenker's Songs though, which was actually recorded in a cabin in the woods not far from where I live. Instrumentally and vocally, it's just as gorgeous, but the emotional depth gives it an edge. There are some outstanding songs, and while not every track is notable, the songwriting is solid throughout, earning a high 3.5/5.
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[pa]

I knew it was difficult for Myrkur to get through the first round but I'm glad that I picked this album; after all the purpose of the tournament is to share something that we love and that, sometimes, accompanied us through special cycles of our lives.
One of my favorite song is probably "Tor i Helheim" but I would say that I could't find one weak track in all the album, love the voice, love the atmosphere.
I'm happy that some of you liked the album and if you like Nordic Folk write to me, I have plenty of recs
Anyway, Mercury's pick is beautiful, thanks for sharing it mate!
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