Ane Brun @ Spektrum

Ane Brun brought melancholic coziness to Oslo Spektrum on april 14th.

Foto: Sadan Ekdemir

Ane Brun, the 42 year old Norwegian singer/songwriter, had a special night at Oslo Spektrum for a rare show of hers on Saturday. It was a special show that was consisting of only cover songs, mainly from her last ‘Leave me breathless’ album.

She opened the show with the song Always on my mind. After two songs with no break, she took a moment to talk the making of her latest album. A candid story about how she was in love, a love she could feel in her bones, but then how heartbroken she was left, and that she had to put her feelings on music which was done in her small cottage in Sweden.

Subtle and captivating

Ane Brun undoubtedly has a very unique voice. It is both subtle and captivating. The show features very simple stage design with long and white silk curtains made her music shine more than anything else. She wasn’t alone on stage either, a small orchestra including strings, piano and bass accompanied her. Arranging a show with a setlist consisting of only cover songs is not an easy task.

She seemed genuinely happy on stage, embracing the audience as they applaud her loudly after almost each song.

However, these songs are not just covers as in different variations of the originals, she instead transformed into her songs, adding poignant vocal partitions whilst keeping the original vibes the same. The songs varies from Bob Marley to Foreigner, and even to Radiohead.

Her beautiful voice brought up the lyrics of the old classical songs and makes us all realize how beautifully written lyrics they actually are. Listening to I want to know what love is, realising what the song is actually about, and also drowning into a flower field on a rainy summer day whilst listening to Stay.

Embracing the audience

Having seen her other shows, I can tell that Ane Brun is not usually keen on talking a lot in between her songs, but in this show it was a bit different. She seemed genuinely happy on stage, embracing the audience as they applaud her loudly after almost each song. She also shared short memories from her life and thoughts about her music journey over the years. Apart from the songs from «Leave me breathless»’, she also played her other classical cover hits, such as Halo, Alfonsine y el mar and Big in Japan, which she played on the encore.

The whole show was more than a concert, it was like an unforgettable experience. A long therapy session, touching and meaningful.

Ane Brun @ Spektrum: 10 / 10