Finland, 1994, Finnish folk / runolaulu
Tinges of folk pop and rock throughout that aren’t present in their preceding album. Definitely a fun fusion of folk and more recognizable pop sounds, like the warm saxophone and bright, strummed guitar. Like grafting pop flesh onto a folk skeleton. The bouzouki, fiddle, and kantele are still here, though, keeping the recording rooted in its Finnish folk tradition. A little more background on this music: Värttinä are from Rääkkylä, near the Russian (and thus Karelian) border and are thus influenced by Karelian folk music. Their vocabulary, therefore, is also probably influenced by Karelian.
Museum Musica 