He was proclaimed Talent of the Year at two major Danish music award events in the beginning of this year – based on a four-song EP. That does not happen very often, but Choir Of Young Believers aka guitarist/singer Jannis Noya Makrigiannis is really something out of the ordinary. Promises were made with the EP ‘Burn The Flag’ (2007), ‘This Is For The White In Your Eyes’ keeps them.

Thematically Makrigiannis investigates love as a basic condition in life. Love between friends, love between family. Love between lovers. Good and quite often bad, as in first single ‘Next Summer’ which has one of the best opening lines I’ve heard in a while: “It’s so dramatic when you called”. Talk about setting a scene! A piano/string dominated verse leads into a grand symphonic point of no return in the chorus: “Next summer / I will return / I’ll be back / I’ll break your heart”. A new anthem for lovers hurt…

The musical recipe is basically as described above: Low-key verse and symphonic climax with strings, horns and choir in an always catchy chorus. Sounds uninspired? Boring at length? I assure you it’s anything but. The songs are great, layers plenty and just waiting to be discovered and add to your experience, but not least because of Jannis Noya Makrigiannis’ voice. Ever predominant in the soundscapes – CO-produced by Anders Rhedin (Moon Gringo, Jong Pang etc.) and Fridolin Nordsø (moi Caprice, The William Blakes etc.) – it is very much responsible for the many moments of sheer melancholic beauty on ‘This Is For The White In Your Eyes’.

In a recent interview with Danish music magazine Gaffa, Makrigiannis said that it is his goal to one day write his own favorite song. As Choir Of Young Believers he’s responsible for a few new of mine.

Genre: Rock
Who: Choir Of Young Believers
Title: This Is For The White In Your Eyes
Label: Tigerspring/A:larm Music
Year: 2008
Country: Denmark
Language: English
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Recommended tracks:
Hollow Talk – Next Summer – These Rituals Of Mine – Under The Moon – Why Must It Always Be This Way