As a writer, I always need background music, and that music usually needs to be instrumental. Post-rock, cosmic jazz, ambient, and artful cinematic vibes are usually my go-to, and this debut self-titled album by The Setting is all three wrapped in one delicious bow. The Setting is a three piece of multi-instrumentalists, Eivind Opsvik (double bass, drum machine), Elias Stemeseder (synths, piano, Wurlitzer, and lute-harpsichord) and Will Graefe (acoustic guitar and other electronics).
The Setting also doesn’t contain any real drums, giving every song an airy and uplifting quality. The music is also never rushed and takes its time to introduce a whimsical theme, as with the opener “Corner Song” and build upon it. It’s very Boards of Canada and Brian Eno soundscape-esque (Another Green World), perfect for getting lost in. “By the Light of the Moon,” with its oscillating synth work and minimal bass piano, feels like stepping in and out of a dream. “I Will Have to Whisper This” feels very bardic and Nordic with the light acoustic arpeggions and dirge-like strings. It wouldn’t feel out of place in The Witcher video game universe. This feeling is probably thanks in part to Opsvik, who is now based in New York but hails from Norway.
The album’s more experimental turns are equally rewarding. “Hold On Tight to Your Music” leans jazzy and strange — likely the lute-harpsichord at work — blending Latin-inflected guitar scales, understated bass, and trilling piano before a sci-fi synth gradually emerges from the fog. It’s all about the slow build. The lone stumble is “Sivilisasjon i Rommet,” three minutes of buzzing alarm-bell tones that, while intentional, undercut the album’s prevailing breezy atmosphere. Closer “The Big Yard” more than recovers: a six-minute slow-burn in which Graefe’s guitar shimmers like a harp, layered acoustic themes shift and stretch, and the bass lays a quiet foundation for the piano to flourish.
The Setting is a rare find—music that enriches whatever you’re doing without demanding your full attention, and rewards it fully when you give it.
