release date: Mar. 2, 2018
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Randall Dunn
label: City Slang - nationality: Sweden
Tracklist: 1. "The Truth, the Glow, the Fall" - 2. "The Mysterious Vanishing of Electra" (live) - 3. "Ugly and Vengeful" (live) - 4. "The Marble Eye" - 5. "Källans återuppståndelse"
4th studio album by Anna von Hausswolff with new producer Randall Dunn builds on some of the same stylistic ingredients she revealed on her previous album, The Miraculous from 2015. The difference here, at a first listen, is the more lengthy compositions with two tracks above 10 minutes playing time and "just" 5 tracks in total, but it's also a collection of songs that sees the artist embrace elements from a huge variety of styles and genres. It's art pop, chamber pop, experimental rock, neoclassical darkwave and it's post rock, but without settling on one specific style - and that's a huge accomplishment as the end result - thanks to the original sound and the arrangements - is a very coherent yet extremely varied album.
The album was met by positive reviews, and once again places Anna von Hausswolff at the peak of her career with her so far finest release. What I really enjoy about this, is the inclusion of brighter and lighter pieces in her usually dark and sinister soundscape. It's not just the explorations of dark matter, but a journey through various musical landscapes that convey an uplifting sensation. Where her previous albums shared more with Diamanda Galás, she has now turned up more on her Kate Bush kinship - which really suits her sound.
Recommendable.
[ allmusic.com, Mojo and Q all hand it 4 / 5, PopMatters and SputnikMusic 4,5 / 5 stars ]
