Gájanas (meaning Echo) comes from the top of Finland where they play what is best described as Northern Sámi ethno-progressive rock music. Band members include Hildá Länsman (vocals, joiks, frame drum), Nicholas Francett (guitar, cello, vocals), Kevin Francett (drums) and Erkki Feodoroff (bass).  It’s also nice to hear Sami Kurppa’s programming and saxophone solo on “Geažehis áhpi” (Endless Sea) and Sami Sippola’s saxophone on “Vuolgge muinna” (Come with Me), a standout track with its tight cohesive groove.

Band of the year at the Kaustinen Folk Festival in 2017, Gájanas creates an enchanting edgy sound that seems to also respect the echoes of Sámi tradition. Striving for a dialogue between traditional and modern Sámi music, their rock also emphasizes a strong connection with nature as they open with an eight-minute “Almmi dolat (Northern Lights)”  that explains, “I shall share the journey with you, North Star. It’s dark no more under the northern lights.” Appearing on various World Music Charts, the music on Čihkkojuvvon (which mean Hidden), is becoming more visible just as the darkness of the polar night is illuminated by the radiance of the glimmering midnight sun.

Joik is the song of the Sami people, often improvised and epigrammatic. English translations of the lyrics indicate that the message are short, concise, and forcefully to the point. For example, in “Diamántadulvvit” (Floods of Diamonds), Länsman eerily vocalizes, “Streams of drops from high up, I want to get drenched under the sudden rain. Clear water, our crystal source, a breath of wisdom, the beginning of life.”

Their thrilling ride is a sensory experience that gets into your head with visual, auditory and impressionistic cues. This is a splendid introduction to the music of Gájanas, and they might even want to further explore lyric-driven and guitar-centric soundscapes with added synth, percussion, electronica and ambient natural sounds. Navigating the various channels and rivers of life itself, their music twists and turns much like one on a journey from the mountains to the sea.

Modern-era minimalism works for numbers like “Bieggagaikkohat” (Snow-blow) and “Hušša Sisa” (Into the Racket), but the strength of this band really seems to be its raw energy, brash attitude and insightful musical vision without sounding anachronistic. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)