Alice & The Mountain – Stripped (Losen Records, 2024)
Stripped, a duo album featuring pianist Bernt Moen and vocalist Silje Kåfjord. Known for his work as a jazz pianist, Moen takes a different approach here, playing an upright piano in a live, analog studio setting. Kåfjord’s original compositions interweave elements of singer-songwriter pop, jazz, and folk, resulting in an intimate, elegant and genre-defying collection.
Recorded at Dakkota Studio in Hamar, Norway, a converted barn, Stripped captures the raw authenticity of the duo’s live performances. Moen describes the process as organic and unfiltered, preserving the mechanical nuances of the piano and Kåfjord’s dynamic movement around the microphone.
Kåfjord’s lyrics reflect personal yet universal themes, exploring solitude, longing, self-discovery, and resilience. The album’s highlights include:
“Red” – A tribute to autumn, evoking the bittersweet transition from warmth to cold and the introspective solitude it brings.
“Big Cities” – A meditation on urban alienation and the yearning for nature’s simplicity.
“Little Things” – A reflection on first love, the significance of small moments, and the pain of realizing they may not be enough.
“Ocean” – A coming-of-age narrative capturing the struggles of growing up, marked by mistakes, uncertainty, and loneliness.
“The Owl” – A song about self-belief and the strength found in meaningful relationships.
Musicians: Silje Kåfjord on vocals; and Bernt Moen on upright piano.
Buy Stripped.