Murky sounds sparsely arranged provide the sonic backdrop to the ethereal vocals of Lisa Nordström and Lisen Rylander Löve. ‘Higher’ has an urgent throb powering away beneath it. There’s no question this Swedish duo know how to create a subtly yet intense atmosphere.
‘Closer’ provides a mellow, almost jazz-infused chillout interlude that bleeds into the string-soaked tranquillity that marks the introduction to ‘Veins’ – which is soon disrupted by a rising tide of static.
The stark, brooding minimalism of ‘Apology’ is almost a spoken word piece, while the haunting ‘Panther’ crawls through the shadows of its own creation to creep under your skin. It’s hard to believe this was recorded in front of a live audience: everything is so subtle and nuanced, the tension captured so perfectly: it feels like the sounds have been meticulously tweaked and boiled down to the barest minimum, and within the most claustrophobic and hermetic of environments.
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They may have kept themselves under the radar of press and audiences alike out of their homeland for their last three albums, but the distilled power and understated force of their fourth long-player deserves to find them reaching wider.
Midaircondo Online
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