Håb is the eleventh album from The Haiku Project, the artist name for Danish composer and multi-instrumentalist Henrik Hytteballe. Håb is the Danish word for hope - something that is easy to lose sight of in these troubled and turbulent times. In addition to offering hope, I find that the album expresses joy and sometimes a sense of fun. I listened to it a couple of times while making a long drive in pouring rain (I live in Oregon!) and found myself thoroughly enjoying the driving rhythms on some tracks as well as the more peaceful expression on others. The ten tracks offer a fascinating assortment of musical goodies that seem to open up and reveal more with each listen. The album was inspired by nature as well as a theme of hope and is based on philosopher Ettore Coccia's idea of ​​humans as part of a living whole and sociologist Hartmut Rosa's thoughts on resonance. The Haiku Project creates music that seeks to open connections between the listener, nature and the world around us. Henrik composed all of the music and plays most of the instruments on the album.

Henrik Hytteballe began his career playing with several different rock bands as well as composing music for theater, short films and television. He released his first solo album as “haiku” in 2006, with two more albums following. His 2009 album, flow, was re-released on the Real Music label in 2014 under the artist name of The Haiku Project. Several more albums have been released since then on various labels. Henrik describes his style as “melting ambient music and rock,” which accurately describes the combination of driving rhythms, atmospheric sounds, and quietly evocative melody lines.

Håb begins with “Flourishing,” a piece that really grabbed immediately with its rhythmic electric guitar and strongly pulsating drums. Upbeat and driving, it was both peaceful and exhilarating - an unusual combination, I know, but it fits! I’ve listened to “Flourishing” several more times and it draws me in every time! “Serenity” is much calmer, with piano, guitar (Kim Jeppesen) and layers of electronic instrumentation. There is a strong rhythmic element in this track, too, but the overall feeling is “serene.” “Night Watch” includes Christophe Luciano on cello - a soulful addition to a very beautiful piece with an easy-going groove. “Vesuvio” is dramatic and cinematic with a driving beat propelling a wide assortment of instruments - it’s impossible to sit still while listening to this one! “Toy” expresses feelings of playfulness and innocence - a total charmer! “Dew” is somewhat more ambient, with keyboards, strings, guitar and light percussion - very peaceful. “Swimming in the Sky” was recently released as a single and brings back the forceful rhythms, adding epic-style choral vocals, keyboards and drums performed by Cabeabel. This one would be perfect in a heroic movie soundtrack! “Esperanza” is a beautiful guitar ballad that features pedal steel guitar, electric guitar, background strings, piano and keyboard - an elegant and romantic slow dance that really builds intensity near the end! “Beekeepers Son” picks up the tempo again with guitars, electronic effects, percussion and dynamic energy. Håb comes to a peaceful close with “Circulation,” an ambient orchestral piece that slowly floats on air as it tells its quiet story.

You may have noticed that I didn’t list any favorite tracks on Håb. There’s a good reason for that - they are all outstanding! This is a really great album and it’s available to stream or download on Apple Music/iTunes as well as on many streaming platforms including Spotify and Pandora. Don’t miss this one!