Jarle Skavhellen’s Debut Album Out Now
May 16, 2018 BY Nettwerk
A reflection on heartache and broken personal bonds, the enduring power of music and its ability to heal, up-and-coming Norwegian folk singer-songwriter Jarle Skavhellen’s full-length debut, The Ghost In Your Smile, is available now at all digital and physical retailers via Nettwerk Music Group.
Jarle is a timeless voice; a songwriting talent that feels steeped in the traditional, while yearning for something new, something modern. The guitarist is a true artisan, a songwriter, who wants to create something unique, something intense and incisive, a form of connection that uncovers emotional truths.
His debut studio album The Ghost In Your Smile is a supremely creative first offering, the track “Pilots” draws directly from the real-life dissolution of a friendship, while “A Life That’s Gone” focuses on the final chapters of a love affair; in contrast, though, the passion-fuelled “Seventeen” finds the Norwegian artist moving on, embracing something new.
An inspired songwriter who aims for the flawless, Jarle is only just getting started. “There are no limits, really,” he explains. “I mean, I’ve been playing for almost 20 years now, and it’s still as much fun as the first time. There’s always something new to discover.” An artist who wants to ceaselessly build, he wants to construct a catalogue, an imposing, personal, and undauntedly creative body of work. At one point he sighs, and says simply: “I’ll keep going as long as possible.”
What People Are Saying…
“A truly timeless songwriter, his acoustic style is rooted in the past but firmly looks to the present.” – Clash
“That journey through mournfulness into acceptance is fully audible in ‘Coming Home’… takes you through depths and peaks of human existence, all in a classic folk style.” – The 405
“Echoing artists like Sufjan Stevens and José Gonzelez during their earlier days, the young man from Bergen prefers to stick to the acoustic folk sounds of the genre’s history. It results in melancholic little acoustic gems.” – Nothing But Hope and Passion
“Full of fiery wonder, the track [The Ghost In Your Smile] carries that typical nordic magic at its heart, Skavhellen’s somewhat pained lilt casting a magical glow that spreads out of the speakers to inhabit the world around it.” – Gold Flake Paint
“Evoking shades of Noah Gundersen and The Tallest Man On Earth… Jarle Skavhellen presents ruminative, lilting folk to captivate the senses.” – For Folk’s Sake
”He has one of those special vocals that’s as stunning as it is haunting…he’s the kind of performance that’ll make anyone who comes across it a fan.” – Hillydilly