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'Formerly a solo artist with two albums of bluesy folk under his belt, local songwriter Bob Nordquist now leads The Intangibles. A full band means a chance for a fuller, richer expression of his songwriting, which Nordquist takes good advantage of on The Animal Within. The new disc takes inspiration from a host of musical styles, blending Native American melodies with Latin, African, and eastern European flavors: A Satana-esque guitar line anchors the title track, and a saxophone on My Time Away From Work recalls Wish You Were Here-era Floyd. Lyrically, The Animal Within forms a song cycle about the existential struggles of a man Nordquist refers to as the human animal. That’s inevitably going to sound pretentious, but the songs are disarmingly down-to-earth, even when Nordquist imagines a New Age-y communion with the spirit of a tribal priest. Whether he’s exploring his fears of nuclear catastrophe, or crawling from the wreckage of a broken relationship, Nordquist has a knack for expressing something very human.'~ The Onion – AV Club 4/27/06, Volume 42, Number 17 'The Animal Within, the new self-released CD from local outfit the Intangibles, is a full-fledged concept album whose theme seems to be the trials and tribulations of survival in a time of alienation from the natural world. It could have been called Dark Side of the Soul. Written by chief Intangible Bob Nordquist, Animal has a mystical undercurrent fueled by haunting melodies that are etched with touches of jazz and world music. The lyrics grapple with ghosts and demons, real and imagined, sometimes with strained eloquence. There's a Floydian feel to the album, with guitarist Dale Engquist playing flowing electric leads like David Gilmore, and concluding with the epic rock ballad The Eyes of the Rest of the World, complete with orchestral splendor.'~ Rick Mason, City Pages 'The thing that is immediately noticeable about Bob Nordquist is his rich, honest voice. I have never encountered a male Tracy Chapman, Nordquist has the vocals to be just that, and it is impressive. Though he has had airplay on KFAI Radio's Urban Folk show and will hold his CD release at a coffee house, he should not be pigeonholed because his music goes beyond typical coffee house familiarity. Each song sets a different, unique mood. Ashes and Jars evokes humid, mosquito filled nights, deep in the Louisiana bayou. There is Irish folk flavor in Nicaragua as well as old-fashioned hootenanny in the form of Scaring All her Boyfriends Off.
Nordquist is quite a talented lyricist. His songs deal with existentialism and the human condition without being bookish. He is a regionalist musician whose songs are often set around the Minnesota/Wisconsin area. There is Rose Lake, a lament about a boy burying his grandfather's ashes on what is now Mounds Park in St. Paul. There is also The Burned Down, Blown Down Cafe, a humanistic story of the goings on and eventual demise of a bar in Wisconsin. Some of the songs are musical history lessons focusing on various aspects of the world, good and bad. A particularly vivid description is the earlier mentioned Nicaragua, a musical painting of a tourist roaming through that country following a revolution. Politics and race issues enter some of the songs without being preachy or bleeding heart. He simply tells stories as he sees them
With an interesting array of mandolins, cellos, strings and the help of some of the area's most notable musicians in the genre, Bob Nordquist has something heartfelt and unique. These songs set an interesting mood, while also making you think. Very good all around. '~ Pulse of the Twin Cites – Artist of the Week 5/31/ |
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