release date: Jun. 6, 2011
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Peter H. Olesen & Michael Lund
label: Melodika - nationality: Denmark
Track highlights: 1. "Sangen selv" (live) - 2. "Nedenom og hjem" (4 / 5) (live) - 4. "Godmorgen kynisme" (live) - 5. "Du lever og har det godt og bor et sted på Sjælland" - 8. "Mit sortsyn" (4 / 5) (live) - 10. "Med let hånd" - 13. "Den nye sang er en gammel sang" (live with CS Nielsen)
Studio debut album by the Danish duo De efterladte ['The Abandoned'] is the beginning of a highly interesting duo consisting of one half of the brother-project Olesen-Olesen, songwriter and vocalist Peter H. Olesen - here without his younger brother Henrik but instead together with guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Michael Lund with whom he composed two songs for the final album, Kain & Abel (2007) with Olesen-Olesen - the second of these compositions is titled "Til de efterladte" ['For the abandoned'], which has given name to the duo. Lund was also among the stable live musicians when the duo toured. Several other additional musicians contribute on the album including Boi Holm, who also mixed the album.
According to Peter H. Olesen [from the official website] he met with Lund after the split of Olesen-Olesen to rehearse and compose new songs to what he thought would be upcoming solo recordings - not unlike what his younger brother Henrik released in 2010 as Ukendt Under Andet Navn - and then he realised that it was more of a collaboration work.
The style isn't far from the former brother-project but it has become much more simple mostly featuring only Olesen's vocal accompanied by Lund's guitar thus emphasising the lyrical side quite substantially. Some compositions are shaped with clear references to rock & roll, chamber pop, americana, or folk rock inspiration and others are simply spoken-word poems accompanied with guitar.
Peter Olesen undoubtedly has a talent with words, and it's truly nice to listen to his lyrics, trying to understand what puzzles him about words, phrases, or sensations, and the new-found sound with Lund makes this a nice journey. Lund is also credited for the cover.
[ Gaffa.dk, Undertoner 4 / 6, Soundvenue 3 / 6 stars ]
