Metamorphosis: Unraveling the layers of Aurora Aksnes
By Delaney Clifford
If you’ve been searching for an artist that I can only refer to as the “perfect medium,” then you’ve come to the right place. Aurora is that artist, revealed most prominently on her new album, All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend which was released in March of 2016. This debut record had set Aurora out in front of the herd as someone who won’t be ignored. Her style can’t be pinned down, the very same way that her eccentric look refuses to conform to any set of parameters.
On a first listen through her record, listeners might hear a familiar sound a feel the vibe that they’ve experienced while listening to other records… maybe for the first song, anyway. The deeper you get into this record, the deeper you fall into Aurora’s process. Almost as a shield, Aurora uses electronic beats and harmonies to bolster her painful lyrical content. This is an example of an artist that has made her emotion relatable, worth far more than a song to dance to in some club. One of the most interesting features about this record is the way that it changes, the way it morphs as you listen. Almost like getting to know a person, you see the surface first, the beats, the grooves, the melodies and harmonies, but the more you get into it, the more you get to know the person behind all of that, that’s when you feel for them; that’s when you know them.
This example comes in the form of Aurora’s song, “The Eyes of a Child,” a beautiful piano ballad showcasing the best of what Aurora has to offer her audience. Painful content shrouded in an angelic voice that you can get lost in over and over again. For me, this was the real focal point of the record, what everything was building up to. From that song, the rest of the record takes on a different form, a new shape. The beginning of the record seemed to be what Aurora was “willing” to show to her mass audience, and the latter half was a much deeper side of the artist, presenting a different side to both her and her music.
When I first looked at the album cover for this record, the image was all too clear to me. Featuring Aurora wrapped up in cloth with wings emerging from her back, she is going through a change. She began in one style, but she refuses to be pinned down. Her style is fluid, a dynamic flow that will have you listening to every song. There is no filler on this record. Aurora has created a record featuring a metamorphosis, a physical change that we can listen to occurring throughout the record. To me, that’s one of the most amazing things that a piece of music can offer. This album is like a sprint. You start off running headfirst into the night, not knowing exactly where you’re going to end up, but bursting forth anyway. Then before you know it, you’re coming to a halt, somewhere entirely different, and you just have to look around and feel it. So enjoy dancing your ass off, and enjoy feeling yourself, because that’s what Aurora brings to the table. Happy listening.
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