Samae Koskinen ja Hänen Taikabändinsä
Almost every single recent magazine story on Samae Koskinen follows the same pattern. Here's a shy young man who, on his second solo album, has found his own style better along with becoming more self-assured as a singer and a song-writer. This is a gross over-simplification of reality, as a matter of course, but it's true that something good has happened to Samae Koskinen at this point of his career, and it's clearly audible on the album and in his voice that has never been more candid.
Koskinen's charisma has been apparent ever since the days when he softly but passionately murmured the delicate vocal melodies of his band Sister Flo. Nevertheless, the most progress both as a performer and an interpreter he has made on his two solo albums, of which the latest, Elossa, was written with a little lyrical help from Koskinen's good friend and rock icon Kauko Röyhkä. The album showcases Koskinen's lyrical approach as a sympathetic observer of the little day-to-day details who, for the theme of his songs, accepts nothing less than the life itself.
Whereas the record goes all the way from light electro to the verge of sung stand-up comedy, the stage show may be something else altogether again. In any case, Taikabändi's lavish touch on the songs provides the listeners with plenty of candy for ear and soul. Whether the genre is folk, rock, pop, or whatever – when Samae Koskinen's stories are happening, the moments grow intense and the presence is definite.
www.samaekoskinen.com
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