Great Aunt Ida--How They Fly

"Great Aunt" Ida Nilsen follows up her 2005 debut Our Fall with the more accessible album How They Fly. A touching album displaying the contrast between fragility and strength, Nilsen’s softly haunting vocals graces each track with the sort of presence that feels larger than that of a sophomore release. "Accident" is perfectly Nilsen, delicately threading her voice through a retrospective piano piece. "Heaven knows where I’ll be," she sings, her voice barely above a whisper, "And who wants know? / How far can we go?" Enormously emotional and soothing, she continues with "Careful Kid," again supported by a soft piano, but with an underlying sense of discomfort and paranoia as she sings of loss and comfort. Strings by Jesee Zubot and Finn Manniche add a sophisticated and mourning stroke, and the addition of a trumpet and guitar in songs like "Every Bone and Muscle," "Flower Like Years," and "Extra Hours" keeps things fresh. "Extra Hours" especially is a up-beat tune that prances its way around happier themes, showing that Nilsen can succeed outside the realm of fragility. "Runway" concludes the album and features Nilsen singing duet, "All in good time / Don’t wait for me / I’m slowing you down." A softly touching album, How They Fly will surely reach out and pull more listeners into Nilsen’s sound. The fragility and beauty of her voice lifts this album up and wraps it in a kind of presence that you can’t help but be impressed by.

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)