At night, I turn off the light and stumble through the darkness to the bedroom unafraid that I’ll tumble over Tyler the Cat—as happened several times through the years. I drift into dreams sans said furbody weighting my legs to the bed and wake hours later without him thump-thump-thumping me on the head. Seven weeks since his passing and I still find his absence odd, in other words. Here at my desk, for example, I write a sentence, then another, and half-expect him to interrupt my thoughts with his meows—not in want of food, but belly rubs. He loved to be loved.
Yet, his absence aside, much remains the same. I listen to music in the mornings and early afternoons, and strive to write something most days. I still wake to various songs percolating through my brain. Since it was released it as a single a few weeks back, Norwegian singer-songwriter Malin Pettersen’s “Fear/Hope” has been one. It’s a quiet but potent song that tackles how we, as a people, have learned less from our shared histories than we claim.
“Fear/Hope” now leads off Acoustic Acts of Rebellion (Seasons Extended Version), which Pettersen released on Friday. The set tacks four new tracks to the start of the Seasons EP she released in September, essentially turning it into a full-length (albeit still short) album. The new songs, which maintain the acoustic slant of the EP, add further depth to what I called in my review “a melancholic treatise on life, love and memories.”
The second track, “Boxes,” is a cogent examination of the compartments some place people in. (In truth, othering is a tact taken by the weak and insecure.) “Silver Lining” tackles stretch marks and aging, things some think are reason for shame. “The Maze,” for its part, offers an incisive take on the walls that keep us from fulfilling our potentials.
In short, Acoustic Acts of Rebellion (Seasons Extended Version) is a gem that—unlike most “deluxe” releases—actually improves on the original. It’s available on all the usual streaming sites and via Bandcamp.
The Old Grey Cat 
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