Frigg: From Finland to You

 

Frigg

Dreamscapes

 

For many years I wrote Celtic and folk music reviews for SingOut! Magazine. I don’t recall exactly when it was, but the editor asked me what I knew about Scandinavian music. It wasn’t much, but I put myself on a crash course and before long I was one of the go-to reviewers for all things Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, and Finnish. One of the bands I wrote about was Frigg from Finland. 

 

Frigg

 

The band’s name pays homage to Norse goddess of marriage, prophecy, and motherhood. In some old Germanic languages her name is spelled Fría or Frí, which gives us the word Friday. As for the band, in their earliest days they played lots of reworked folk songs and traditional tunes. They still play some, but they are now in their 25^th year and, after expected lineup changes, they’ve spread their wings, write a lot of their own material, and have picked up influences from Americana and bluegrass music–not that you’d necessarily recognize them filtered through a Finnish lens. I liked Frigg back then and I like them now. A few weeks ago they played a show I caught in Whately, which is where I picked up Dreamscapes, the band’s tenth album. It is, as its title suggests, a concept album, a series of day dreams, musings on Finnish culture, and a splash of mysticism analogous to Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night Dream.  

 

“Troll’s Twilight” is an example of Scandinavian mythology. The liner notes advise, “When trolls take the lead in the waltz, you can never be certain what’s real and what’s mere illusion.” In Finnish folklore, troll can sometimes appear in human form, but mostly they are big, dumb, and ugly, but also magical, mean, and definitely not Christian. The live in isolated places, but the best advice is avoid them at all costs. Like vampires they do their worst when the sun sets; sunlight can turn them into stone, hence many land  and features are said to be petrified trolls. No wonder that the tune is a combination of ominous and wild dance.

 

By contrast, “Valsette” embodies the promise of spring, with three fiddles and bass invoking the flight of honeybees returning. It also showcases the band’s balance and timing on a tune that could otherwise drift into cacophony. A lot of Frigg’s music is danceable, but look out for correct spelling. A polksa isn’t the same as a polka. The latter is a Czech and Polish dance in 2/4 where a polska is in ¾ time and often has pauses. “Alarm Polska” is an example of how Scandinavians (and Scots) often prefer things in ¾ timing. The structure might seem similar to Irish jigs, except the latter are generally in 6/8 timing. Notice, though, the lighter middle section and coda of “Alarm Polska.” Most of the selections on Dreamscapes have a link to dance. “Vastkusten Twist” borrows from an old minuet, “Vittra” is a square dance, and there is another polska and a different waltz. The best way to appreciate Frigg is see them live. Here's a clip of “Norrsken” (not on the current album) that captures their energy and freewheeling innovation on the stage. Not all of the current members of Frigg are on the current tour, but as you can see from the picture I took in Whately, there’s no shortage of talent that can step in when needed. 

 

Frigg on Stage in Whately, MA

 

 

Rob Weir