The Gods We Can Touch: Album Review
A review on artist Aurora’s new album.
May 3, 2023
Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer, AURORA (Aurora Aksnes), has tried something different from her usual folk-lore and mythological lens in her most recent album. I believe Aurora is a more traditional, raw, and grounded artist — but you could categorize her under alternative and indie-pop.
The theme of this album is dark, bewitching, and ethereal. It’s about negative emotions, desire, and mortality interpreted through Greek mythology; suggesting that not even the gods are perfect.
Album Playlist:
Song: “The Forbidden Fruits Of Eden”
Song length: 0:40
Written by: Aurora
Small description: We start the album with an interlude, her raw vocals setting the feel of the album.
Song: “Everything Matters (ft. Pomme)”
Song length: 3:34
Written by: Aurora, Jamie Hartman, Pomme
Description: Pomme is a french singer-songwriter, collabing on ‘Everything Matters’ with Aurora. Sam Moore of NME Networks quotes Aurora as saying that, “It’s a very strange story. A story I would like for people out there to figure out themselves. I contacted a French artist, Pomme, to write the ending for me. And it is beautiful. Sensual. And real. I do often feel like this world is trying to make me focus on all these great miracles. And somehow I feel like it makes me miss out on the small ones. And that is sad. Because the small miracles happen all the time. Sometimes several times a day. And I want to see all of them. Because ‘Everything Matters’.”
Song: “Giving In To The Love”
Song length: 3:01
Written by: Aurora, Magnus Skylstad
Description: Aurora is singing about her personal experience with the mainstream media. The message in the song is a rejection of the pressures of the media to promote love, that she’s tired of trying to live a false lifestyle where she’s always looking her best, happy, and pure.
Song: “Cure for me”
Song length: 3:19
Written by: Aurora, Magnus Skylstad
Description: This star piece in her album is what I would consider one of her most famous songs beside “Runaway” and “Running With The Wolves.” “Cure for me” was first released as a single in 2022 and now is on multiple albums. I suggest watching the music video as you listen to the song.
Song: “You Keep Me Crawling”
Song length: 2:59
Written by: Aurora, Magnus Skylstad
Description: Aurora explains on Fandom that the song is about “the unbalanced power play in the world.” I believe it symbolizes giving love or power that is not reciprocated. Instead you get hate or disgust and she sings about what it’s like trying to get back up from that.
Song: “Exist For Love”
Song length: 4:12
Written by: Aurora, Glenn Roberts
Description: Originally a single released in 2020, “Exist For Love” is really about wanting to explore the next chapter of her career during the writing process and she simply sings about wanting more love in the world. It has a retro feel to it.
Song: “Heathens”
Song length: 3:45
Written by: Aurora, Magnus Skylstad, Odd Martin Bergjord Skalnes
Description: I think this song comes in 2nd place as most popular on the album
Song: “The Innocent”
Song length: 3:27
Written by: Aurora, Glenn Roberts, Magnus Skylstad
Description: Not my favorite song on the album.
Song: “Exhale Inhale”
Song length: 3:33
Written by: Aurora, Glenn Roberts, Magnus Skylstad
Description: This is by far my favorite song in the album for its dark and otherworldly essence.
Song: “A Temporary High”
Song length: 3:23
Written by: Aurora, Magnus Skylstad
Description: I prefer the acoustic version of this song. If you enjoy the electro feel then you’ll find the original better.
Song: “A Dangerous Thing”
Song length: 3:36
Written by: Aurora, Martin Sjolie
Description: Sam Moore of NME Networks quotes Aurora as saying that, “There’s a lot of beauty in this world. And there’s a lot of ugly. I was surprised to learn how often the ugly is disguised as beauty. How often poison is disguised as wine. And life disguised as death. And when we learn that what we thought was good for us, is in fact bad for us – even then we tend to go return to it. Because at least it’s familiar. And all we ever dream about is home. Seductive, yet destructive. ‘A Dangerous Thing’ indeed.”
Song: “Artemis”
Song length: 2:39
Written by: Aurora
Description: Really falling into the Greek mythology previously mentioned directly, “Artemis” is retelling the story behind Artemis’s upbringing, questing the intents of other gods, and sets up the verses so they could potentially be an interpretation left to the listener. Artemis is well-known as the god of hunting and the moon.
Song: “Blood In the Wine”
Song length: 3:30
Written by: Aurora, Askjell, Fredrik Svabo
Description: This song has a lot of religions symbolism. Aurora has said that she got inspiration from faith “because it is so complex.”
Song: “This Could Be A Dream”
Song length: 4:09
Written by: Aurora, Magnus Skylstad
Description: Aurora has said that she was thinking about a dark and wintery time in Norway while writing this. It’s not my favorite, but far from the worst.
Song: “A Little Place Called The Moon”
Song length: 4:10
Written by: Aurora, Matias Tellez
Description: The last song on the album, “A little place called the moon,” gives you a spiritual feel and I think is a great place to end the album.
I have listened to all of Aurora’s music for years now; she is the only music artist that I actually keep up with, and I continue to be intrigued and inspired by her songs. Most of her music deals with mother nature. Aurora says herself that she strives to keep her music “as close to home as possible”.
I find her song writing’s top tier next to many artists in today’s age, because of the messages and the lyrical work. I think this album is definitely a new look for her, and so far her fans adore it.
