A Closer Listen
Sometimes the meaning of an album title is hidden until we look it up, so we were delighted to discover that Päiväkahvit is the Finnish word for afternoon coffee. The LP is meant to accompany the “waning afternoon light,” although it sounds just perfect any time of day, with any kind of beverage. But the non-negotiable part is nature, as the set sings of summer and rings with the sound of children at play.
The album almost didn’t happen. Containing nine songs from the Valo Siroutuu sessions and four new interpretive reworks, the album took a while to gel; songs that were once considered out of place took on new meaning and value, while the original time spent on the island of Kimitoön glowed with new luminosity in light of world events. The reinterpretations were a later idea, as was the twelve-live live bonus track, included only in the download.
Might Päiväkahvit help listeners to find peace in troubled times, in the same way as Valo Siroutuu helped people to navigate the waters of the pandemic? The album exudes that same peaceful exuberance. The small miracle is that the combination of old and new, studio and live flows beautifully as a suite, highlighting the value of wise sequencing. Unlike other albums that adopt this tactic, the reworks are sprinkled throughout, appearing as tracks 5, 6, 9 and 12.
The listener is left to bathe in the sounds of songs left off of the original set, akin to discovering a cache of hidden Christmas gifts one has forgotten to open. Rain is falling as the album begins, but the piano promises sunshine, which arrives in the first words of Lau Nau. Her collaborations with Sontag Shogun have all proven fruitful; how could it be otherwise, sparked by an island retreat? Birds start singing on track two, which includes hints of wind chimes and the first appearance of children. The guitar and percussion are languid, as if the artists have simply woken up and begun to tap and strum. While not explicitly stated, we suspect the players enjoy aamukahvi (morning coffee) as well.
The tracks flow together like fluid conversation, without breaks in-between. Soon it is afternoon, and Jesse is advising listeners to “Go north,” a track that builds to an extended drone, recessing like a wave, the last echo of voice fading into the ether. Fabi Taddal tackles the forest of “They came in through the front door,” highlighting texture and atmosphere, the contrast between work and play; Amulets (whose own new album is also on Beacon Sound) reworks “Tropic movements,” tiptoeing between chords so as not to disturb the birds. A similar approach is used on “Bottles + birds,” in which the bottles are blown upon rather than struck, allowing the tweets to continue unabated.
The album contains very few lyrics, but Lau Nau’s voice is a constant, glimmering presence. The Post Dukes take on “The Vala River,” chock-full of bells and beats, is but one example, sparse voice accompanied by Laura Naukkarinen’s glockenspiel and violin. Ironically, “Miten aloittaa” (“How to get started”) appears late in the set, implying a beginning rather than an ending; here the singers entwine their voices, accompanied by something like a calliope, with happy children shrieking in the background and repeated instructions to hold the handrail. Jeremy Young takes another shot at “A pale view of dem hills,” resulting in the album’s most electronic, clubworthy track.
And now one is invited to decide how the set closes. Just as Valo Siroutuu seemed to end, but this year takes on new life, Päiväkahvit offers one the choice of the last debut piece, “Veden yli” (“Over the water”) or a double-length live version of the former album’s title track. The first is humble, a return to lapping waves and glockenspiel, an island memory revisited. The second is spontaneous, a celebration of life together and in person. Each has its own appeal. When the late afternoon has faded and the caffeine has kicked in, the evening adventure begins. (Richard Allen)
Tue Jun 17 00:01:03 GMT 2025