Ok, now that I've seen her live the second time this year and grabbed it from her merch table, it's time to review Karin Park's latest solo release. Or maybe not? It feels a little bit weird, because I've not only known the promo for months, but also back in September...
I'VE ALREADY WRITTEN A REVIEW OF THIS ALBUM HERE ON VEILOFSOUND.COM!
I'VE ALREADY WRITTEN A REVIEW OF THIS ALBUM HERE ON VEILOFSOUND.COM!
KARIN PARK - Private Collection (CD) (2022)
Since I don't want to parrot myself, the central question for me is: Has my opinion on the album changed since my last review? In terms of the musical content it certainly hasn't. I still love these new, more intimate and solemn interpretations of songs from the Swedish singer's back catalogue as much as I did back then. This is just brilliant dark and honest pop - sitting somewhere under the wide roof of what I like to call Contemporary Gothic - with exceptional vocal performances.
Pump organ, piano, some strings and subtle electronic elements are the canvas, her charismatic and versatile voice is the breathtaking brushstroke flying over it.
Most of this is close to how she plays these pieces live today, even though the studio versions breathe a little more of that special holy grandeur of the former church where they have been recorded. Both sonically and emotionally this album feels huge and delicate at the same time. It's just wonderful. And listening to it right now I must correct myself: My opinion has changed! I love the nine revisited songs plus the new opener "Traces Of Me" even more today.
I've also changed my opinion about the cover artwork, for which I had found pretty harsh words on Veil of Sound, claiming that "it looks now in its flat 2D preview: WTF is going on on that cover? That looks like the 1990s abducted a perfectly fine, beautiful, strong image and dragged it through photoshopping hell."
My stance hasn't changed radically though, but I will admit that the thing translates badly onto the screen and doesn't actually look that weird when you see it for real (and with the context of the rest of the artwork). It's ok, I guess. Compared to the covers since 2009's "Ashes To Gold" however it feels quite wishy-washy and not very striking. And since when am I talking that much about a cover artwork? Sorry, once you start with it, it develops a life of its own I guess. Well, since we're at that point now anyway: The Roman MMXXIII (=2023) still doesn't make sense. Or am I missing something?
Noone cares, I know. Shut up already and just enjoy the magical touch of Karin's music, man!
Pump organ, piano, some strings and subtle electronic elements are the canvas, her charismatic and versatile voice is the breathtaking brushstroke flying over it.
Most of this is close to how she plays these pieces live today, even though the studio versions breathe a little more of that special holy grandeur of the former church where they have been recorded. Both sonically and emotionally this album feels huge and delicate at the same time. It's just wonderful. And listening to it right now I must correct myself: My opinion has changed! I love the nine revisited songs plus the new opener "Traces Of Me" even more today.
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| Karin Park live in Hamburg |
My stance hasn't changed radically though, but I will admit that the thing translates badly onto the screen and doesn't actually look that weird when you see it for real (and with the context of the rest of the artwork). It's ok, I guess. Compared to the covers since 2009's "Ashes To Gold" however it feels quite wishy-washy and not very striking. And since when am I talking that much about a cover artwork? Sorry, once you start with it, it develops a life of its own I guess. Well, since we're at that point now anyway: The Roman MMXXIII (=2023) still doesn't make sense. Or am I missing something?
Noone cares, I know. Shut up already and just enjoy the magical touch of Karin's music, man!
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