In our never ending search to find music with that “something different” we are open to all kinds of genres and genre bending. We search all corners of the globe and are often surprised by what we find and where we find it. Today is one of those times as we introduce you to Greenrose Faire.
Hailing from Finland, Greenrose Faire is a medieval-influenced folk rock band. This definitely qualifies as something different. I admit the description set me back a little bit but one listen lets you know this is a very professional and well versed band not just thrown together to play a Renaissance fair. The instrumentation is impressive as well including everything from violins to acoustic bass to octave mandolin. The six members of the band are able to fill your ears with sounds that you just don’t hear every day.
Last year Greenrose Faire released their first full-length album, Neverending Journey and it is starting now to hit American shores. All the songs have been played many times live to “finalize” the perfect arrangement of each before they were mixed onto the album. The opening song ‘Dance ’til Morning Light’ is a song that they say they also start many shows with and it may be the perfect song for that. It immediately grabs your attention and excites the listener for what is to come. I dare a person at a live show to try to not raise their hands in the air and sing along as the band shouts “Hey, hey, hey!” The rousing ‘The Old Knight’ really shows the musical talent of the band from Salla Rimmi’s beautiful vocals to Jukka-Pekka Hirsimäki’s mandolin picking. Another sing-along track, ‘Beggars And Thieves’ opens with haunting violin and lyrics to ease you in before grabbing you by the neck and forcing you to dance.
Bottom line: Greenrose Faire’s Neverending Journey is an unexpected, phenomenal and original album that will remain in my playlist for a while. I will wait for someone to overhear this music and question my listening choice. I will then make them listen to it once and am sure they will become a new fan as well.
Follow my lead and go listen to Greenrose Faire now at:
*The full album is also on Spotify and MOG.
