Islaja

Merja Kokkonen has always been a jewel in a sea of noise. Sticking out amongst her Fonal compatriots, she uses dissonance to create wonderful heights of tension but never delves into the formless clatter that many of her lablemates prefer. In some David Lynch, dystopian alternate train of existence, Kokkonen is a wounded lounge singer begging for you to understand the marks on her soul. She sings with a tattered urgency atop feedback and rolls of piano; dusty woodwinds and slipshod percussion. A lack of understanding of the Finnish language makes her all the more enchanting, leaving your heart to ache for the knowledge of what she's trying so desperately to tell you. Ulula Yyy is her most complete and beautiful work yet under the Islaja name. She has taken the time to distance herself from her folk roots without losing the charm that has made her one of Finland's premiere exports. This album is without a doubt worth the price of getting it lodged under your skin.


Download:
[MP3] Islaja -Sydanten Ahmija
[MP3] Islaja -Pysahtyneet Planeetat