Silje Nes is a musician with a wide ranging musical background who grew up on the biggest fjord in Norway. Her second album, Opticks, was recorded in a home studio which serves to explain the intimate feel of the album. What it can't explain, however, is the enchanting, dark atmosphere it evokes, and that is all due to Nes's growth as a songwriter. The album is very cohesive, and one that I've played many times late at night. Nes's vocals rarely rise above a whisper, and all the while, the combination of (acoustic & electronic) drums, guitar, and strings are arranged in a way that leave you lost in a sea of serene darkness. All tracks FCC clean. Try tracks 1, 4, 8, 11.

1. 5:23 Plucked acoustic guitar, waves in background. Soft female vocals. Slow build, segues into strings & electronics.
2. 4:04 Quiet electric guitar, sparse echoing drums, soft female vocals. Layered electronics, guitars, strings, whistles.
3. 3:01 Hectic background noise with swirling vocals turns into thumping bass drum & harmonizing vocals. Lead vocals come in halfway thru with acoustic guitar.
4. * 4:56 Alluring vocals and guitar melody. Changes mood/tempo to be slightly faster, then Nes does some noodling around, until the track ends back at the beginning melody.
5. 3:37 Starts with repetitive guitar and vocals, drums in a couple times and act like a sort of “hook.”
6. 6:10 Aimless intro, jumps into lively synth part with vocals, then shifts into maelstrom of vocals, drums, strings.
7. 4:02 Like a staccato pop song. Repeating guitar notes, echoing vocals with delay.
8. * 3:46 Guitar/violin with spacey electronics in background. Really warm, inviting song.
9. 4:02 Acoustic guitar, female vocals, humming electronic beat.
10. 2:41 All I wrote for this was “Soft.”
11. * 3:05 Succinct representation of album. Endearing pleasant song with an actual hook.