Hydrogen is an ambient project at its heart, but some of its body manifests itself as more beat driven electronic music. From the propulsive synth intro of "Deposition," to the dance break heavy bonus track, "Teeth," BardSpec skirts the line between active and ambient. Not surprising for a guitarist to lead off an album with a wistful, guitar based selection, "Bone" sets the stage for the introspection and slight groove that is ever present on Hydrogen. With help from Today Is the Day's Steve Austin on guitars and effects, Hydrogen's first full track is full, vibrant, and fun. Bongos join in alongside the wistful guitars to give "Bone" some body and direction. Adding some seriously Suspiria OST reminiscent bassy synths to the mix, the track begins to unfold before being reinvigorated by a driving beat. Like something out of a Bond film credit sequence, the focus of "Bone" shifts more toward the electronic beat than the soft ambiance that was initially set up. This is done well, though, and shows the song grow, as the soft guitar skeleton is still accessible. Looming and booming, the far away mountains rumble before an almost Bollywood groove appears in "Fire Tongue." Layers interweave and tangle, with their subtle confusion adding depth and anchor points for the mind to cling to as the sonic tapestry waves and unfolds before the listener. A solid drum patter emerges from this rich soil, and provides adequate propulsion for the journey across the vast, sonic plains standing in the shadow of the booming mount. Jumping from the earthiness into something a bit more ethereal, "Gamma" floats softly while also having some sort of fluid, liquid-like quality. The amount of layers on this would normally scuttle something so airy, but Ivar makes it work, and the added depth makes the etherealness even more apparent. Layers of guitars and samples add a spacey, wistful quality like being blissfully jettisoned from a rocket. The perfect song to smile and drift away to, "Gamma" is the highlight of Hydrogen. Channeling a thick, 80's soundtrack, synth vibe, "Salt" carries a semi-industrial edge that feels like watching timelapse footage of a futuristic city being built. The persistent, electric guitar adds a certain nagging feeling to the middle before going off on an airy, uplifting solo. Closing out the digital release of Hydrogen is a bonus track, "Teeth." Starting slower and lower, "Teeth" feels like the soundtrack to a gritty, sleazy cop drama about a vice squad, before breaking into some sort of EDM styled break fest (not to be confused with breakfast). BardSpec deftly skirts the ambient line on Hydrogen, and "Teeth," in it's electronic glory, is best as a bonus track to be enjoyed as a separate entity from the official album tracks.

Heavily rooted in ambient with breakout, electronic flourishes, BardSpec's debut, Hydrogen, gives the listener many points from which to drift and many points to return back to the mix. Putting a lot of support into his new project, Ivar Bjørnson is ensuring that BardSpec gets the attention it deserves, and for good reason; this project is very solid and the debut is excellent. I will admit that I was a bit wary of this at first, as Enslaved really isn't my cup of tea, but Ivar's talent reigns supreme, and I was treated to quite a lovely album.