release date: Sep. 29, 2017
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Niklas Hellberg, Thåström
label: Razzia Records - nationality: Sweden
Track highlights: 1. "Bluesen i Malmö" - 2. "Körkarlen" - 3. "Centralmassivet" (4 / 5) (live) - 5. "Låt det goda" - 6. "Aldrig av med varandra" - 8. "Karaokebaren"
9th studio album by Thåström following two years after Den morronen (2015), which again followed Beväpna dig med vingar (2012). Like all his albums since the 2012-release, then also Centralmassivet is released on the Swedish label Razzia Records. Thåström also produced the 2015-album in collaboration with Hellberg and Ulf Ivarsson, and Thåström made up the Swedish trio Sällskapet together with Pelle Ossler and Hellberg from 2007 to 2015 after which Thåström left the two to continue the band as a duo.
On this, Niklas Hellberg is not only credited as music composer of all tracks together with Thåström - he also plays piano, keyboards, synths, is credited all programming and as recording technician. In that respect, Hellberg's role is more or less adapted from how he contributed to the music in Sällskapet. And it doesn't stop with that 'cause what characterises the style and sound on this, Thåström's ninth album, is a delicate combination of styles that both echoes his last two solo albums but also cary an underlying connection with electronic music, which again bonds to the two previous albums by Sällskapet without being as grey as they appeared. Centralmassivet is first and foremost unmistakably a Thåström album with the alt. rock and singer / songwriter mix he has come to be recognised for over the last decade, but it's not just a simple strategy where he utilise a familiar formula. Den morronen was dark and somewhat laidback - and you may argue also a bit of a one-dimensional experience, but here Thåström succeeds in relaunching himself as a pure rock artist with electrifying and punchy tunes. The album is full of modern blues rock and it comes out as a very strong effort with an intelligent and remarkable production that makes room for stylistic inputs from industrial rock and the electronic genre without compromising the overall sensation of something extremely coherent and at the same time a collection of tunes with apparent diversity.
Centralmassivet is undoubtedly Thåström's best solo album since his stunning Skebokvarnsv. 209 (2005) and it's no less than one of his finest releases.
Highly recommendable.
[ Gaffa.dk 5 / 6 stars ]
