After having graced our screens as the voice of the north wind in Disney’s Frozen 2, on the 21st of January 2022, AURORA handed us the gift of her third studio album titled The Gods We Can Touch. This album is a beautiful balance between an angelic softness and an electrifying elevation for those who enjoy compositions that challenge and offer comfort at the same time.
Throughout this body of work, AURORA maintains a beautiful sense of simplicity in her lyricism, and in each song, the message is clear and concise, there are no lines to read between, because the Norwegian singer/songwriter is saying what she means and meaning what she is saying.
This aspect of her music makes it easy for a great many people to feel seen and in doing so makes it feel as though songs that you may connect with were specifically written for you.
It is a journey through the current time that we live in and the concepts and ideas that come with it, it feels like armour or a soft landing that can protect or catch us when life and living throw us into the depths of self-doubt and invalidation.
Songs like “The Forbidden Fruits Of Eden”, “Cure For Me” and “Heathens” meld into one another as each listening experience empowers and lifts the chins of members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
These three songs acknowledge the religious argument that looks down on people for living and loving as they choose, and offers a firm rebuttal to the harsh rejection and senseless disdain on the way these movements justify themselves. These songs form part of the armour that protects and serve as a blanket of kindness and reassurances.
While Aurora grabs our attention in the simple positioning of her words in each song, that is in fact the only simple thing about the entire listening experience. Entangled in the simplicity of her lyricism are the complexities of everything else that comes together to make this music.
From the intricate notes she hits, which can be likened to traditional Indian vocalizations, to the complexity of the rhythms, melodies and tunes that accompany her vocals. While we can acknowledge the difference in the components of each song, when looked at and analysed as a whole there is no doubt that each part of the puzzle has been meticulously and graciously put together from an intricate and relatable experience.
Not only are we hanging onto every word she says because of the ways we can relate to them, but we also find ourselves taken by gentle winds and following her into the skies with dreamy songs like “Exhale Inhale” and “A Little Place Called The Moon” and then being grounded again with songs like “Blood In The Wine” and “The Dangerous Things”.
Much like her role in the animated movie Frozen 2, AURORA makes you want to travel with her to whichever lands she seeks to visit. Though she is not known for featuring many artists in her work, we are transported to France with the presence of Pomme in “Everything Matters” and this song serves to pay tribute to the castle in France that inspired her in the making of this album.
Needless to say, this pop album is a journey that must come to an end even though one may feel as though the 15 songs she has gifted her listeners with is not enough.
She has dedicated songs to her fans in the past and because of this, as well as the fact that each song feels as though she is having a personal conversation with you, it is not hard to see that Aurora succeeds at making us feel as though she has something to say to each one of us willing listeners.
It is an amazing listening experience and on the journey that her music takes you, one realizes that there is a place for everyone.
Listen to AURORA’s The Gods We Can Touch album below and purchase it elsewhere here.
Words by Kimberleigh Campher
Beautifully written. Makes anyone who hasn’t listened to this album want to listen and makes those who have listen more intently and more appreciatively.