Review Summary: It's like a stoner thought... but you don't forget it.
Mikko Lehto refers back to
Tuoni and
Marras, with the
Sarastus EP. This short work takes the template of Lehto’s previous folk outings and strips them down even further. While his earlier albums featured varied instrumentation with the central melody spotlight being shared by guitar and piano, the music of
Sarastus is presented almost exclusively by either one or two nylon-string guitars.
Aside from three very short interludes, the longest lasting only a second or two over a minute, each track is a pair of guitars gently plucking broken melodies in front a collage of nature sounds. The melodies are often simple and warm, contrasting nicely with the chilly elements swirling around them. The music acts as a meditative guide, moving at a strolling pace, paying a sort of subdued reverence to the environment in which it finds itself.
Mr. Lehto explains in the album notes that
Sarastus was captured in a brief instant. This music is intended to be experienced in the same way. It is meant to be an escape.
Sarastus is like walking on a rain-moistened path through a host of tall, green trees. The path crosses cold rivers and passes before tumbling, white waterfalls. The listener hears the rustling leaves and the wind that shakes them. For this brief instant, the wanderer dwells in a passing thought and is completely at peace.
At times, a musical experience just doesn’t last long enough, especially when dealing with EPs. Graumahd’s first EP, for example, consisted of four songs and all of them fit on a 45. The music is excellent, but each song ends before it really starts.
Fortunately, that is not a problem in this case. Even though this album plays for less than 20 minutes, it is perfectly timed. Not a single track falls short or overstays its welcome. At the same time, however, there really are no tracks that stand out from the rest. Each one flows directly in the next. This music is meant to be experienced as a whole.
Mr. Lehto has offered a great experience with this EP. This album works in perfect conjunction with his larger pieces like
A Collapse of Faith, but also presents itself as an alternative, in a way.
Sarastus allows the listener to pass into another world without needing to get involved in an extended epic. It’s almost like a personal, portable piece of nature and atmosphere. Whether you are walking through the woods on a rainy day or just wishing to disappear for a while during a lunch break at work,
Sarastus is a passing thought worth remembering.
