Bjorn Olaf is a Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter and electric guitarist. Mark Your Time is his sophomore album, trading his debut’s folksy approach for a full-band indie rock feel. Bringing his live band, Cole Benson and Tim Leick, into the studio with MN luminary Kris Johnson, Olaf puts his knotty arrangements against an unadorned guitar-rock backdrop.
Olaf’s influences seem broad; his baritone most clearly evokes early ‘00s musicians with that vocal range, like Matt Berninger of the National or Paul Banks of Interpol, while the instrumentals drift between Incubus-style rock grooves and indie-pop chime. Despite this, the record leaves its core sound only rarely. Springy guitar lines lead into chugging choruses, often in a swaying 6/8 time signature. The emotional context is instead the source of the album’s variety from hopeful moments such as “Sky Grows Old” to the funerary vibe of “Hell or Highwater.” These distinctions in mood keep the record from getting too repetitive, and allow Olaf to showcase some of the more nuanced elements of his songwriting. The standout track here for me was “Labyrinth,” a drumless track led mostly by a tapped melodic guitar line. Alternating between the lead guitar and the vocal, and then opening up a cavernous reverb at its climax, “Labyrinth” is haunting with Benson’s bass line keeping the track from careening off into space. This is the spot where Olaf reaches furthest out of the comfort zone and the risk paid off. “Pen to Pad” is also a great track with urgent drums and bass underpinning a light guitar riff and droning vocals. The insistence of the rhythm and Olaf’s slowly rising vocal lines create lots of tension that pays off in a conclusion of heavier guitars. The slow burn suits Olaf’s tendency to write long vocal passages, and helps propel Mark Your Time past its opening. Other spots on the record were not as inspiring. A few tracks have vocal performances that seem haphazard; on “Stranger” and “Rain,” Olaf seems to wander aimlessly from the melody, detracting from the impact of the songs immensely. Some denser arrangements may have also helped fill out thinner parts of the record as well— opener “Keep It Clean,” for instance, is begging for some more textures, while “Sky Grows Old” is a good example of what he could be doing with more vocal harmonies and background parts. Ultimately, though, these quibbles don’t overwhelm Olaf’s ability to write pleasant, occasionally dreamy, tunes. Mark Your Time more than anything represents his development as a songwriter and his potential in a more rock-centric style. For fans of straightforward indie rock, there are enough moments of brilliance to keep them coming back.
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