STEIN ROGER SORDAL – As I Try to Remember All I Try to Forget

Released in late November 2024 and compiling his brand-new second album and his debut offering – they are basically twin records, if you will – this sweetly melancholic gem by songwriter Stein Roger Sordal of Green Carnation fame is not only tailor-made for reflective moments in front of the fireplace on a cold Scandinavian night but also brimming with great ideas.

Sordal has essentially re-examined and re-worked many of the compositions he originally contributed to the aforementioned Green Carnation as well as Angels Motel, Soxpan, and Plutho so that they consist primarily of acoustic guitars, piano, and yearning vocals. The arrangements appear sparse, but the songs are rich in depth and texture, and the elegiac and sophisticated essence of the material packs a huge emotional punch. Most touching and heartfelt of all are “Ride On,” “187,” “The World Without a View,” “House of Cards,” and “Moving Clouds” – all of which showcase Sordal’s ability to conjure up a strong melody and an atmosphere that feels expansive. The disc speaks of the human condition in a sincere and candid manner, and the two albums contained within its grooves are surprisingly dynamic yet fluid and meditative affairs.

With its raw emotional quality, warmth, compositional elegance, and thoughtful lyrics, Sordal has breathed new life in to some already stirring motifs and ideas from his past and presented us with a moving piece of work that is quietly powerful. When in a brooding mood I find As I Try to Remember All I Try to Forget to be a rather addictive listen.