Back with a new label and a darker sound, Finland's
Värttinä have obviously taken a little time to reappraise their music. There was nothing wrong with what they were doing before, but obviously it was time for a change, and with
Miero, that's apparent from the opening strains of "Riena." The vocals are still very much front and center, but this time there seems to be a stronger integration between the singing and the instruments, where they push and wind around each other. While they've often indulged their passions for frantic songs in the past, it's tempered this time, with more shading in the arrangements, closing with the near-lullaby of "Vaiten Valvion" and its quiet tones. What they've really done is finessed their sound, adding more texture, slowing it a little, and bringing out more of the resonances in the material. It's perhaps their most accomplished record yet, and one they needed to make to give their sound in a small, but important change in direction. ~ Chris Nickson