Unknown Pleasures · 10.03.2025
When I read in the promo email that Mika Häkki of Monolord, a band I don't really like, had released an album, it was reason enough to almost delete the email. Then I clicked on the link to the promo jukebox and heard the complete opposite of Monolord: fragile, acoustic songs that make the endless expanse of Sweden audible. There's nothing more to say about it. This record is at the intersection of bluegrass, Americana, and the epic expanse of Earth, performed on an acoustic guitar with...
Unknown Pleasures · 25.08.2024
On the first rainy day after a month of sunshine, I stumbled upon this fantastic song by the Swedish dua Citzend via algorithm. The review appears under unknown pleasures because I am a total fan of the Norwegian band Madrugada, the Swedish duo Swarm of the Sun and dark music in general. And now two Swedes come along, creating an intimate atmosphere and at the same time a great expanse with very few instruments that sound quite isolated from each other and play next to each other rather than...
Unknown Pleasures · 02.08.2024
Imagine a band that combines the dark melancholy of Joy Division with the mystical, psychedelic energy of The Doors. Their music is permeated with a deep, atmospheric vibe that evokes the vast landscapes of Americana, but delves into the darker side of the human soul. Dark, driving bass lines and hypnotic, reverb-soaked guitar riffs merge with narrative lyrics that speak of lost souls and ghostly deserts. The singer's plaintive voice leads you through a sonic no-man's land where dark country...
Unknown Pleasures · 06.05.2024
This seems to come directly from the bottom of the heart; Blues Pills was like a calculated project for me and the slow decay of the band was quite logic after this huge hype in 2014. Dorian Sorriaux took a different path; armed with his acoustic guitar, he lingers along on Neil Young paved roads à la "Harvest Moon" or "Hawks and Doves" and it feels right and good and authentic what Sorriaux is playing and singing. A record to listen in one take and after that, to switch the repeat button. A...