Complete Mountain Almanac is a beautiful concept, with 12 songs representing the months of the year and the inherent healing cycle of nature. At its creative core are singer and composer Rebekka Karijord and poet, dancer and multimedia artist Jessica Dessner. Much like the 49 circular watercolours that adorn the album cover, there is an intricacy to the music of their lead single ‘May’, which, like the poetic lyrics, feels multilayered and complex on the one hand and a clear-eyed vision, an awakening. Listening to May and reading about how this album came to be, makes it clear that this beautiful collaboration went on to transcend its original purpose in a most beautiful journey-like way.
Sweden-based Rebekka Karijord and Italy-based Jessica Dessner met by chance in Brooklyn in the late ‘00s. Immediately taking an immense liking to one another. The depth of that friendship can be clearly felt in their lead single which explores themes of hope and rebirth, healing and nurturing. The poetic imagery is dream-like and nature-themed, which Olof Grind emphasises in the accompanying video. The sun-dappled sequences add to the song’s psych-folk feel that musically, could easily have been plucked from the early 70s. It’s all quite beautiful and moving…”a marriage of the inner and outer worlds, illness and rejuvenation, grief and joy.”
The album features performances and co-production from Jessica’s twin brothers, Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National.
The album press shares how when Rebekka entered the initial writing stage; she approached Jessica to create the visual component of the project. Soon after, Jessica was diagnosed with breast cancer, and her own creative practice began to fuel her own internal healing process. In addition to working on the project’s artwork, she wrote a book of poetry, entitled Complete Mountain Almanac. Once these words were in Rebekka’s hands, they soon found their home as the lyrical matter for the songs – as well as baptising the women’s collaboration, and debut release, with its name. The experience of personal illness and healing, alongside the experience of addressing climate change and the potency of nature, found an existential common ground in the two women’s collaboration. And Complete Mountain Almanac stands as testimony to their raw uncovering – an ode to rejuvenation, joy, and hope.
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