Magnet

The Simple Life (Filter)
by Tim Den

After venturing into folktronica territory with The Tourniquet, Magnet (Norwegian producer/songwriter Even Johanssen) has returned to the rootsier, organic sound of On Your Side. You won’t find glitches or beeps-n-bloops here, just plucked banjos, handclaps, barnyard stomping, and some occasional choir-ish singing. It makes sense, seeing as Johanssen recently started a family of his own on a piece of farmland in his home country. The songs reflect the lifestyle well: You can almost hear the sun rise over the animals, as Johanssen awakes to make breakfast for his kids. Whatever they’re having, it definitely ain’t no Southern cooking, cuz the hands that make ’em are Scandinavian, after all. Instead of an overwhelming Americana vibe, The Simple Life reminds one more of gray skies, a warm fire raging in the house as a snowstorm weeps outside, and icy waves crashing on desolate shores. No no no, it ain’t Immortal either, cuz the songs here give you shelter from all the elements. You can hear all the commotion outside, sure, but inside the farm you are safe, dry, and loved.

The Simple Life is the story of one man settling down, learning to appreciate the small details of life, and writing some damn good songs about it.
(www.filterusarecordings.com)