Complete Mountain Almanac – Complete Mountain Almanac

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When an album has so much that could go wrong as Complete Mountain Almanac does, it’s almost a miracle when everything goes right. That virtually everything went wrong makes this a testament to the tenacity of the two women at the heart of this project, Norwegian-born yet Swedish-based Rebekka Karijord and American born though Italian-based poet, dancer and multimedia artist Jessica Dessner. Having known each other for over 15 years, when Karijord finally approached Dessner about creating artwork for a project on climate change, she was intrigued. Shortly after beginning her work, Dessner was diagnosed with breast cancer. As mentioned in the album press, in addition to working on the project’s artwork, Jessica 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 baptizing the women’s collaboration, and debut release, with its name.

Instead of effectively ending the project, while Dessner began her treatment and recovery, she wrote a book of poetry entitled “Complete Mountain Almanac.” Karijord realized those poems could form the lyrical insight for their project. However, they needed some musicians and Dessner had two younger brothers she had always bossed around, Aaron and Bryce Dessner from The National. Over the course of one week, shortly before the 2020 lockdown, the four recorded the basic tracks, working chronologically on the 12 album tracks, each representing a month from “January” to “December.”

While the lockdown continued, Karijord worked on adding extra textures, synths and horns, while Bryce wrote string arrangements for the Malmo Symphony Orchestra and Aaron worked on production. What emerges on Complete Mountain Almanac is an unclassifiable mix of folk, classical and chamber music with 12 songs devoted to decay and healing on both a global and personal level. 

The acoustic guitars that open “January”, while folk-influenced, lean to the classical side of things, starting to take on more folk overtones as the song progresses. Darker overtones begin to take shape in the string section. As the song moves toward its conclusion, a much darker musical vision emerges.

Taking us inside the surgical process while gentle guitars wrestle with strings and horns. Karijord’s vocals on “February” take the song into levels completely unexpected, from the almost gentle start as she sings, “Near the hunter’s forest/ Someone will take apart my body/ In order to save me.” Yet, the tone that comes in the chorus is loud, bold, and almost accusatory, “She went to her great love/ Without her body intact/ Did he take her in his arms/ To love all that was left?” 

Opening with sounds of acoustic guitars playing in a classical format, as Karijord’s voice enters, “May” takes on a folkier tone. Yet each new section reemerges classically before pushing into a context that almost mimics the sounds of people relating to the earth around them. Part of the conceit of the song is how there are two different people existing in the same body within Jessica Dessner. As Karijord makes clear, “Everything happening to me/ Is of the earth/ I can give all this back to her.” At least, that’s the goal. 

Complete Mountain Almanac may be the boldest, most daring album to come out all year. Its unique blending of sounds and structures makes it required listening for anybody that appreciates everything that music can be and do.

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