Petri Selin's Verstas is a son's tribute to his father, formed from years of memory and finally, a song. It was written by the Helsinki based artist in respect of a man who served in the war, played bass in dance bands during the 1940s and 1950s and later worked in a small advertising business in a cellar workshop.
Here, everything is done by hand by Petri, from the writing, composition, performance, to production. It is important that it is independent. It means that all the decisions that he makes are on the record, including the little ones. It imparts a personal touch to the entire release.
The song is entirely in Finnish, his native language, and is a blend of folk pop and some elements of rap style phrasing. A strange mix of old fashioned song writing and a more contemporary rhythm based delivery. Petri shifts effortlessly between these styles, while staying natural and not too obvious.
His singing is expressive throughout. He sings as if the weight of time has taken its toll, as if he's finally put into words a story he's been holding onto for years. Nothing feels rushed. Each line is well thought out and may have been gone back to many times before recorded.
The instrumentation remains supportive and doesn't distract from the voice. It allows for adequate space to move things along and yet maintain the focus on the content. The arrangement slowly develops, as does his father's life, steady and determined.
The theme of the song is that of a progression through hardship, without giving up, and working to gain a worth in the face of the unchanging message. The ideas in it, like patience, humility and concern for craft, are more universal than just his story.
After his first single, which he released almost 10 years ago, he believes Verstas it's a worthy gesture, a heartfelt tribute in music to a dad who profoundly influenced him.
