“Seventeen” is that most brilliant of things, a song that talks of the past and simultaneously captures the sound of bygone days in the music it makes. The latter is because brothers Nolle and Beinte Groen, who make up Baby Condor, are dedicated to the artistry of the analogue recording process, bringing an added sense of honesty and authenticity to their music.
It’s a song that covers a lot of ground from folk finesse to soaring west-coast rock vibes, from 60’s tinged acoustic pop to cinematic Laurel Canyon richness, from seductive atmospheres to rock and roll weight. For me, there is more than a touch of James Taylor running through it, but it is fair to say the echoes of many classic music makers loom large over the song, from the Great American Songbook style of Harry Nilsson to the soulfulness of Marvin Gaye.
And there is a wonderful contradiction at work here: as you listen to those sensational, sonic echoes of earlier times, the lyrics talk of how life moves on, how we become disconnected from our past, how memories fade, and how we are not “Seventeen” anymore.
It’s a gorgeous blend of nostalgic sounds and modern music making, but as we know, everything in music is cyclical, everything comes around again, everything bubbles back to the surface. And if “Seventeen” is an indication that we have reached a time when such ’60s and ’70s sounds become part of the modern music maker’s sonic palette, I say bring it on!
