release date: Sep. 11, 2020
format: vinyl (MØS 017) / digital (11 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Brian Mørk Hansen
label: Møs Møs - nationality: Denmark
Track highlights: 1. "Hvor er magien" - 2. "Vildrede" - 3. "Et øje" - 4. "I mit stille sind" - 5. "Levende stemmer" - 6. "Mørkt stof" - 7. "Solregn" - 8. "Vinterskæbner" - 10. "Vågnede en morgen"
5th studio album from Mellemblond aka Kristoffer Munck Mortensen as follow-up to Guldlokzonen (May 2018), is like that issued on the small independent label Møs Møs located in Copenhagen.
This new album is exclusively acoustic tracks - of which five of eleven are Kristoffer Munck Mortensen's own reinterpretations of older songs, while the other six are new compositions. I imagine the 'old' songs have been given another present life through live versions and via the restrictive (long) quarantine period that was still a reality in relation with the release. The track "Vildrede" is a duet, also released as a single, credited Mellemblond and Kira Skov. In addition to Munck Mortensen (and Kira Skov on track #2), only other musician participating here is the experienced jazz bassist Nils Davidsen, who is also credited on cello.
Solregn has garnered positive feedback and the song "Vinterskæbner" from Guldlokzonen and "Et øje" from Lysvågen (Mar. 2013) have received some airplay on (national radio) Danmarks Radio P3 and P4, and the album is also a quite unique release. Mellemblond has been a musical project right from the start, where it is clear that the poetic side has played a major part. Munck Mortensen has his own distinctive vocal, but it's especially the lyrical dimension of his songs that elevates the compositions to something other than ordinary pop music. In this way, he has managed to bring something other into the music than what we usually find in Danish-language music, and there is a consonance with late Eik Skaløe (from Steppeulvene), Povl Dissing (who sings Benny Andersen), and Trille, who are all musicians with a distinct lyrical quality and who have bridged to a textual universe much closer to that of author Tove Ditlevsen than the majority of other Danish songwriters have succesfully made attempts to build a kindred relationship with.
The gentle post-production, and the completely simple soundscape make the lyrics stand out even more clearly. You may think what you want concerning doing reinterpretations of one's own melodies - but this way, at least they get an intentional new and different life, which in a way reminds me of how British band Tindersticks in 2013 succesfully made the album Across Six Leap Years.
Solregn is downright excellent in places. Heartfelt and sensual. This is music with great depth.
Great recommendation from here.
[ 👍Gaffa.dk 5 / 6 stars ]
// - - -
3 versions of "Et øje" by Mellemblond
