I first heard of Indica when Jonsu did guest vocals for Nightwish’s Finland-only single Erämaan Viimeinen (a version of "Last of the Wilds" with added Finnish vocals), after which I checked out the band online. Although all the songs were in Finnish, I still fell in love with the music and the band’s eccentric personality. Since then, Indica supported Nightwish on two European tours, and word spread about this peculiar all-girl quintet. Eventually, the word reached the ears of someone at Nuclear Blast, and in early 2010 the band inked a deal with the traditionally metal label to release the band’s upcoming English album "A Way Away."

"A Way Away" is made up of ten rewritten versions of Indica songs from their previous Finnish albums, featuring all new arrangements and orchestration with the help of Pip Williams and with a guest appearance by Troy Donockley. It certainly helps to have a friend like Tuomas if you want to make the best possible album. That’s not to say "A Way Away" is anything like a Nightwish record. Indica have their own style and sound, but one that can easily appeal to fans of Nightwish since there are a few parallels between the two, mainly the fantastical lyrics. In fact, Tuomas even wrote the lyrics for the song "Precious Dark."

The music on this album is diverse. Some songs are catchy and fun, such as "Islands of Light," "Precious Dark," and "Scissors Paper Rock," but there is also the somewhat creepy "Children of Frost," the exotic sounding and eccentric "As If," and the wonderful ballads "In Passing" and "Lilja’s Lament." Many songs feature new lush orchestrations, especially in the case of "Erie Eden," and "Islands of Light," that add an extra something that wasn’t there on earlier records and create a soundscape that’s pleasing to the ears. Jonsu’s singing is both emotive and eccentric at times, adding to the record’s diversity.

Whether the songs are better in their original Finnish or new English versions is debatable. Certainly, the new orchestration is better than on the older songs, but my issue with some is the flow of the lyrics. There’s something oddly flowy about the Finnish in older songs and the fact that it’s in a langue most outside of Finland don’t understand adds an appealing bit of mystery to it. My verdict is this: the Finnish versions of "Islands of Light" (originally "Vuorien Taa"), "Scissors Paper Rock," ("Ikuinen Virta"), "As If" ("Elä") and "Straight and Arrow" (Pahinta Tänään) are better than the new English versions. However, "In Passing" (originally "Valoissa") and "Precious Dark" ("Pidä Kädestä") are just as good in English as in Finnish, if not better. As for the rest, I have not heard the original Finnish versions, but I realize all that is subjective, so it might be different for everyone.

Despite the fact that the song’s technically aren’t completely new, Indica have released a great and diverse record that, overall, is superior to previous albums. And now, with Nuclear Blast, they can reach an international market and get the fame they truly deserve.

Standout tracks include "Islands of Light," "Precious Dark," "In Passing," and "As If."

8.5 / 10