Detailed Reviews [Unicorn - 2003 - "Behold & Beheld"]

Prolusion. Norwegian project Unicorn is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Tonje Ettesvoll and has been active since the late 1990s, initially mainly performing their material at events held at places for people that have suffered various kinds of traumatic experiences in their life. Two albums have seen the light of day under the Unicorn name so far. "Behold & Beheld" is the first of these, and was self-released back in 2003.

Analysis. The music of Unicorn probably can't be described without mentioning the lyrics first. Many of the songs revolve around heavy topics in categories such as incest, abuse and other types of traumatic experiences, and describe events that often have happened in the lives of the members of this project. Of which creator and instigator Ettesvoll obviously will be one of the people sharing thoughts around some rather difficult life experiences. As such, this is also an album that probably will be of interest to the all too many people out there that would describe themselves as survivors. A line like "I'm trading my body for some of that tenderness" isn't at all among the most hard hitting lyrics you'll encounter on this album, but is a little bit of an indication for those with a deeper interest in album lyrics I would suggest. Musically this is a venture that know their way around progressive rock, and while Marillion and Fish are given thanks for their contributions to the world of music in the extensive and tasteful booklet that is a part of the old-fashioned CD experience here, my impression is that the musical inspirations for this band goes back a bit longer. With art pop more than purebred progressive rock perhaps, although the latter also pops up on quite a few songs here. The material here doesn't stay within those two fields alone however, as we get several songs here that are more inside of a mainstream pop and rock context, quite a few ballads are present as well as songs that flirt a little bit with both folk music and arguably also Americana. As befits music with lyrics that deal with dark and difficult themes, the vocals are an integral part of this experience, and Ettesvoll is a vocalist that has a lot of emotion and a good ear and mind in terms of how to use her voice in an efficient manner. The control is very much present too, but the emotions that are projected have a strong sense of being real in a more hard hitting manner than with many other artists, at least if you are aware of the background of this project. Hence this album will be an emotional affair, especially for those directly or indirectly recognizing the topics covered by these songs, with the vocals being just as integral to this emotional impact as the lyrics. From a strict musical point of view I don't find all the songs to be of equal interest, which is reflected in the rating, but for me at least this isn't an album that merely revolve around the music itself either. I regard this album as a bit of a total package, where those with an interest in traumatic experiences and how they may be described by the combination of words and music is the real selling point for this production. But on a strict music level there's plenty of solid material here to enjoy as well of course. Especially if emotional vocals is an aspect you appreciate in music.

Conclusion. While I suspect that survivors with the strength to listen to words and music that describe aspects of what they have experienced may well be the key audience for this production, those with an interest in a band that makes music inside of as well as outside of the progressive rock universe should also find this album to be an interesting one. Especially if hard hitting and emotional lyrics is a general topic of interest, alongside vocal performances that makes the most out of the foundation laid down by the lyrics.

Progmessor: May 2024
The Rating Room