Geir Sundstøl & Joe Harvey-Whyte — Langeleik
Langeleik is a collaboration between two respected and revered pedal-steel players- Norway’s Geir Sundstøl and London-based Joe Harvey-Whyte. The resulting nine track album nicely slips from the mellow, into the trippy/ vaguely groovy, onto the moody/ dramatic.
The album appears on Norway’s Hubro- coming as either a CD or limited twelve inch vinyl, I’m reviewing the former of these. The CD comes presented in a colour blue set mini gate fold- this features on it’s front cover close up splats of oil, bringing to mind psychodelic oil lamps.
Each of the albums nine tracks have runtimes between two and four minutes- with a decent variation/ shift in tone between them. The pair don’t just play Pedal steel on the release, with Sundstøl also handing National guitar, bass, harmonica, mandolin, minimoog and Suiko St10. And Harvey Whyte- acoustic guitar, Optigan, and Shruti Box. With a few supporting players in the form of Jo Berger Myhre- upright bass. Anders Engen- drums. Erland Dahlen- drums & percussion. And Ivan Orveal- words on one track.
We move from “Otra Mantra” with it’s slowly tolling & mellowly circling weaves of pedal steel, clean acoustic guitar, and minimal drums. Onto “Rørvikelva” with it’s dramatic Norwegian spoken words, light wishful groove, and swirling westered winds ambience. Through to the swirling spacy-ness of “Tista Lengter” with it’s mix of gentle ebbing pedal steel, space whisper like guitar tones, and glowing ambience.
As an album Langeleik is subtle genre shifting affair- with some truly beautiful playing, which nicely slips between delicate/ harmonic, spacy, and moody. I real treat for both the ears and the soul.