2024 Number 10: Viima

Gemma's Top 10 Albums of 2024: Number 10
Viima - Väistyy Mielen Yö

The winner of this year's Retro Prog in a Foreign Language Sweepstakes is: Viima. I've been told, and not just by Finns, that Finnish is a real language that real people really speak. I'm not entirely convinced. It sounds like something Tolkien has come up with.

Viima do their best to keep the Tolkien spirit up with soothing, folky, melancholy, atmospheric, retro stylings. Flutes and acoustic guitars and proggy full band workouts and not a lot of sleek production tricks. And lots of mellotrons and Hammond organs! Honest, workmanlike prog. It's very warm.

Bugger if I know what the lyrics are about, but they feel like tragic fantasy stories, maybe about ghosts. They sound great anyway. The songwritership is quality and diverse. The album feels coherent, but every song has its own character.

Like I said, my list this year skews conservative, and this is exhibit A. This is not an album that's going to blow your mind, but it is an album that's going to keep you warm in dark days such as these. Pour yourself some hot chocolate or salmiakki and let it wash over you.