43 minutes, 45 seconds

Forseti
Windzeit

There's a lot of bad neofolk out there. That is to say, lots of guys with acoustic guitars and tympani and weak, shaky voices who think they can simply look the part and draw an audience. The sad thing is, they're right half the time. That's what makes Forseti such a breath of fresh air. Soaring above the usual dreck, Andreas Ritter and company craft songs that demand your attention. Moving effortlessly between softer, more pensive moods and somewhat more energetic bursts, Ritter keeps his vocals (entirely in German) on a cool, even keel, not unlike Death in June's Douglas Pearce--who makes an appearance here on the eerie final track.

It's a transfixing set of songs, and I get completely engrossed in it every time I hear it. The high point for me is likely "Sturmgeweiht," particularly when Ritter's accordion kicks in. It's a sound soaked in nostalgia, evoking such a strange sense of wistfulness. The funny thing is, with everything in German, I have no idea what he's singing about. Someday maybe I'll find out, but for now it doesn't seem to matter. I guess I could say that about a good chunk of the music I listen to.

Also today:

43:45 Stormfågel, Ett Berg av Fasa
43:44 Cranes, Particles & Waves
43:44 Digital Poodle, Combat!
43:43 Der Blutharsch, When Did Wonderland End?
43:39 E-Craft, Die Stahl AG
43:38 Tumor, Killer Tekkkno
43:34 Anna Gardeck, Bondage Women
43:32 Cold Fusion, ORP Orzeł (CD 1 of 2)
43:32 Dive, Concrete Jungle
43:30 Greg Ellis, Kala Rupa
43:30 Image Transmission, Regurgitation
43:29 Antigen Shift, Next to Departed
43:28 Brian Eno, More Music for Films
43:25 Amateur God, Near Life Experience