Changing of the Seasons

Norwegian singer-songwriter Ane Brun, who has since set home base in Stockholm, Sweden, captures a spooky, foreign atmosphere that’s kept consistently intriguing and unexpected by Björk’s longtime production foil Valgeir Sigurdsson. “The Treehouse Song” begins with a childlike sense of whimsy, but “The Fall” is much trickier, stopping and starting in a hush of strings that gently coax Brun to continue on. “The Puzzle” could be a Judy Collins ballad with its initial stately melody that suddenly churns with an anxious pace. These are haunted folk songs with touches of playful ‘60s-styled pop jumpstarting the fun. “My Star” aches with the old-world feel of a madrigal, as its strings and gently plucked acoustic guitar weave a web of mystery. “10 Seconds” builds on a full-band set-up, with the backing vocals and trickling pianos pushing Brun to animated glee, as she recounts a man struggling with existence. The title track could be a seasonal affective disorder anthem, if such a gentle tune could be considered an anthem. Weird and powerful stuff.