The 18-year-old sensation Olivia Rodrigo is the most popular star in the latest wave of prodigiously talented hitmakers specializing in giddy odes of heartbreak geared to sensitive young women. Believe it or not, I’m not a member of the target audience. What would a bespoke album catering to my current sensibilities sound like? My wish list would include:
wordless jazz based on European chamber music and America’s improvised avant-garde tradition
the earthy shadings of a pedal steel guitar
an expansive sound field
an intimation of spirituality with a tacit acknowledgement of mortality
When We Leave, Mathias Eick latest release on ECM Records, meets each of my specifications. I’m deeply indebted to the Norwegian and his collaborators for obliging my persnickety inclinations.