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LEIF VOLLEBEKK, A U OF O ALUMNI SERENADES LISTENERS ON HIS NEWEST ALBUM, REVELATION
In February of 2024, I went to see Leif Vollebekk at the Bronson centre. Going into this concert, I had some familiarity with a few of his songs but wouldn’t have described myself as a fan, but the tickets were cheap and I had nothing better to do. He was electrifying to watch. At one point he played both the piano and the guitar at the same time. He finished his set with an eight-minute cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” By the time I walked out into the Ottawa winter I was hooked. By the end of that year, he was my top artist on Spotify, and it wasn’t even close.
Leif Vollebekk is from our very own Ottawa and graduated from the University of Ottawa in Philosophy before moving to Montreal and recording his first album.
His newest album Revelation combines poetic lyricism with mystic guitar and piano. The result is an album that is at once cozy and haunting. During the pandemic, Vollebekk built himself a home studio and retreated to what he described as a two-year retirement. Revelation is the product.
The opening track Rock and Roll features rhythmic piano, and strings coupled with simple and haunting lyrics. The lyrics reference the influence of the music of Jeff Buckley and the impact of his death.
Songs like Elijah Rose include piercing guitar, which follows the tune of his vocals. Stripped-down drums mesh perfectly with his soft piano chords. The lyrics reflect an introspection on a fraught and abusive father-son relationship:
“Elijah rose/ Seven years old/ When your daddy he cuts you down/ Took all that pain, buried away/ Don’t you know it’ll be back someday.”
In Elijah Rose and on the final track of the album Angel Child, he reflects on the process of healing and overcoming the things that resurface when we’re alone. Angel Child finishes with a message of an unfinished journey, as he sings:
“And if I find it, will I recognize it?/ I’m starting to wonder if the best might not be good enough.”
While his lyricism is powerful, it doesn’t take centre stage in Revelation. His use of interplaying piano, guitar, strings and drums is a hypnotic journey which showcases the full breadth of Vollebeckk’s multi-instrumentalist talent. Revelation is one of those albums you can peacefully zone in and out of, noticing the lyrics or simply enjoying the melodies. This is deeply cozy and is my current go-to study album. I encourage you to take a listen next time you’re staring out the window of a bus or sitting down with a nice book.
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