Image: Marie Naglestad
What started on the streets of Barcelona, where Brun busked singing other people’s songs, has grown into a remarkable career. “I think a lot of my songs are about being free,” says the singer-songwriter.
With her crystal clear voice, which for this reason alone stands out from the crowd, her songs, which have already filled ten albums over the past two decades, have always remained a personal matter. Being authentic, open to life, love, the experiences that life brings with it – that has always driven her musical work.
Ana Brun’s songs always have this melancholic basic character. Slowness as a stylistic device, as a seduction for the listener who wants to listen more closely and go deeper. Anyone who does that will also be able to feel the dark moments in the Norwegian’s music, but will always recognize the hope. After every rain comes the sun. Sometime. Guaranteed.
For their 20th anniversary, Ane Brun (and her fan community) are now giving themselves two albums. On “Songs 2013-2023” (Balloon Ranger Recordings) she looks back – easily recognizable from the title – on the second decade of her musical development. With “Hand In The Fire” she deliberately starts with a new song that combines a lot of what Ane Brun stands for. “Tell me honestly, are you really free,” she asks, pointing the way. Keep doing, keep moving.
Amazing cover versions
With “Portrayals” (Balloon Ranger Recordings) In a way she looks back to her roots. As she played other people’s songs on the streets to get her voice heard and attention, she discovered a love of bringing well-known songs into her musical cosmos. The twelve most popular covers – streamed 250 million times on Spotify, used in film soundtracks, TV series and commercials – are combined on it.
Ane Brun sings Beyonce in her calm way (“Halo”), strips the Cyndi Lauper classic “True Colors” and turns it into an intimate moment with voice and piano, brings Adele to the campfire (“Make You Feel My Love”) and decelerates Alphaville. Her version of “Big In Japan” is touching in a hitherto unrecognized way. Foreigner, John Legend, Elvis Presley, the Beatles – Ane Brun makes them all her own as a matter of course.
“Portrayals” is a gentle temptation that you can definitely succumb to because it is close and sometimes just amazing. So cover versions are enriching. And it’s good that an artist like Ane Brun has always taken the liberty to act as freely as possible. You can hear that in their music, in which truthfulness always resonates.
Source: Nachrichten
