Nordic Roots: A Northside Collection by Various Artists (CD, Jun-1998, NorthSide Records)

As a fan of the eclectic and unusual in music and being of Nordic (Swedish) extraction myself, I was curious to see just what a sampler CD of World Music from Scandinavia would contain. This disc far exceeded hopes and expectations; it is a musical Smorgasbord of everything from traditional to cutting-edge progressive, with some tracks a skillful blend of both, and ranging all the way from sweet lullabies to frenzied techno-pop. Time and space do not permit a track-by-track review of all 19 cuts on the CD but the worn-out phrase "something for everybody", while true, doesn't begin to do it justice. Who would have thought that two girls intoning ancient Viking war chants would be so utterly hypnotic, or that a song whose lyrics are literally "la dee dum dee doo" could paste the same happy grin on my face even after the two-hundredth hearing? There is even a track that is nothing but a Jew's-harp solo - and it is mesmerizingly impressive. The only track I personally could have done without is the aforementioned techno-pop-dance number entitled "Texas", which simultaneously thumps and drones the word "Texas" over and over, ad nauseum or at least ad headache-um. With that one exception, however, this disc proved to be consistently listenable, hummable and danceable, and sometimes all three at once.
Since this is a "sampler" CD, the producers thoughtfully provided information on the sleeve regarding the album from which each cut was taken as well as contact information for the record company itself.