Buko Shane is an indie-folk musician from Finland known for their emotionally distinctly Americana music — which they hail as being ‘from the other side of the Atlantic’; with tender melodies and evocative storytelling, they bring it all with their latest album, “Pandemic Blues” — keep reading for my thoughts!
The band, originally known for their electrified Americana-influenced experimental rock music, took a different artistic direction with “Pandemic Blues” — with sparse, beautifully minimalist instrumentation throughout the album, the atmosphere created is one of purity, and raw artistic expression. As the gentle acoustic guitars welcome us onto the first track, “Another Sunday Morning”, the stage is set for the soulful singing that takes the center stage throughout this song — laying down a solid foundation for the rest of the album.
As we find ourselves afloat through this album, the trance in the air doesn’t help our case as we — just like anybody else — find ourselves sucked into the intricate melodies, evolving motifs and tender, warm chords on songs like “Long Winter”; the distinctive Americana flow coming through, this track has a slow, moving rhythm that keeps steady pace with the listener.
Some other standout tracks on “Pandemic Blues” include “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean”, which takes a bit of a step into more energy, with a distinct, sure-footed groove that propels the track forward with poise and passion. The vocals are evocative and engaging, and the storytelling powerful on this one — and it’s elevated further even by the Rhodes pianos, the strings in the background, and the beautiful vocal harmonies throughout the track.
The production on “Pandemic Blues”, as I may have alluded to earlier, is delightfully minimalist — with acoustics that create soulful rhythms, with strings, pads and ambient elements that introduce just the right amounts of spice into the mix. The stages are wide, the energy excellently controlled, and the highs sparkly and dreamy. The body of the album retains a full cask of flavour, and doesn’t stutter when it comes to complementing the rest of the project perfectly.
All in all, “Pandemic Blues”, by Boko Shane: The kind of album that’s made to evoke emotion, and to inspire a warmth in the listener that is seldom unsurpassed. A winner of an album that deserves your attention this week! Take a listen to the album here: