release date: Sep. 23, 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]
producer: Kim Hyttel
Label: Exlibris - nationality: Denmark
Track highlights: 1. "Pondus" - 2. "Mit liv i flere versioner" (4 / 5) - 3. "Sol" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Nu går lykken forbi" (4 / 5) - 7. "Ny dag (morgen i København)" - 8. "Dagens gerning" - 9. "Jeg tog fejl, jeg har fortrudt" - 10. "Himlen er et kedeligt sted"
2nd studio album by Olesen-Olesen released on Exlibris and produced by Kim Hyttel like the debut Indenlands udenbys (1987).
Stylistically, the duo has not entirely abandoned the indie rock style of their common musical upbringing, but they take a stronger move into the origins of folk with songs that nearly all have a sort of singer / songwriter tone lurking at hand - a style that clearly contains Dylan-inspiration but also stays true to a highly original narration with personal subjects and all in Danish lyrics. These are provided by primary songwriter and vocalist, Peter H. Olesen, who constitute the duo with primary musical composer and guitarist, younger brother Henrik Olesen. Where the debut already showed us a fascination for classic American songwriting, the style and subjects were more of a tribute to the beat-generation, whereas this is very much another look at classic America, only with inspiration stemming much more from traditional folk.
I recall finding the album a bit of a disappointment when it came out but have come to enjoy it a lot more over the years. My initial verdict was somewhere around 2,5 / 5, regarding only "Nu går lykken forbi" as the only great song on an uneven album. That song is still very fine, but overall, the album has proved to be a rather strong follow-up, alas completely overlooked. The stylistic change towards more introspectiveness and a softer tone in style probably wasn't the natural choice of progression the public eye expected from the duo, who previously had been associated with a sneer of indie rock and post-punk. This is something else but it surely contains much more of the fingerprints that identify the duo when comparing to their successive releases. This is actually where they consolidate their common style, and in retrospect the album is bettering a fine and promising debut, and by that simply deserves much more recognition.
Recommended.
[ Gaffa.dk 5 / 6 stars ]
