Rarities

As Norwegian singer/songwriter Ane Brun was assembling the 10th-anniversary career retrospective *Songs 2003-2013*, she realized she had enough unusual stray tracks in the vaults that had never made it to a proper album to put together the “double album” *Rarities*. This finished product features original songs, alternate versions, and covers. Gillian Welch’s “Orphan Girl” is among the best-known covers, while Beyonce’s “Halo” (featuring cellist Linnea Olsson) is the one meant to raise the most eyebrows. Bob Dylan’s “She Belongs to Me” is brought into a chilly north-country atmosphere, courtesy of frosty synths and robotic beats. Bjork’s “Joga” is from Brun’s performance at the 2010 Polar Music Prize. Elvis Presley’s “Crawfish” is performed with The Club Killers, while The Beatles’ “From Me to You” is taken far from its moptop Merseybeat roots. In many ways, this looseness helps Brun’s music substantially. As an artist known to focus very hard on the task at hand, Ane could use a breather now and then where she can let loose and sing.