(Via U OK)

Crawling along ice-encrusted country lanes during the recent onslaught of the Beast from the East was the perfect opportunity to entrench myself in the work of Norwegian musician Kai Gundelach, the ethereal quality of his songs fitting the otherworldly surroundings of stark white fields and snow-capped trees.

Drawing on themes of melancholy and loss, presented through the combination of synth-pop and atmospheric vocals, Baltus is an auspicious debut album which bodes well for the artist’s future.

With his falsetto tones at time reminiscent of the work of Andy Burrows, Kai admits to striving to capture some of the sentiments expressed in the songs of Bruce Springsteen, albeit given his own personal take which draws on his own experiences.

Fellow Norwegian ARY guests on a couple of tracks, and proves there’s more to her than the inevitable Bjork comparisons, adding other vocal layers to Kai’s own.

Despite the deeply personal, sometimes heart-aching content of his songs, the overriding feeling from this album is one of optimism and hope, and you’ll be left with the sense of a better tomorrow as the last track fades away.