Youn Sun Nah : Lento

 

96kHz/24-bit FLAC, ACT 9030-2 (supplied by www.highresaudio.com)

Recorded for the German jazz label ACT at the end of 2012 at Nilento Studio, Gothenburg, this is Korean singer Youn Sun Nah’s third album (Same Girl, from two years before, is also available from highresaudio.com but so far not Voyage, from 2008). Lento takes its name from Scriabin’s E minor Prelude, Op.16:4 and is the opening track. We reviewed the CD earlier this year [HFN May ’13]. As before, she’s with guitarist Ulf Wakenius, bassist Lars Danielsson and Xavier Desandre-Navarre on percussion, but also French accordionist Vincent Peirani. Nah’s choice of material is eclectic, to put it mildly – she even takes on the mantle of Johnny Cash with ‘Ghost Riders In The Sky’, although this just about works. Nah’s own songs are direct and appealing. You can see the complete booklet plus biographical notes at HRA’s website. SH

Sound Quality: 80%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

This ostensibly very simple, elegant recording is not especially ‘clean’ as the track ‘Empty Dream’ illustrates. Vocal harmonics (or distortion from the post-processing chain) extend well beyond 20kHz accompanied by some spuriae. PM

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