release date: Oct. 13, 2023
format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,55]
producer: Mikkel Damgård
label: Risiko Records - nationality: Denmark
14th studio album by Danish project Love Shop is yet another ambitious chapter in the band's long and storied career. The album showcase the familiar mix of melancholic tunes and lyrical depth Love Shop is known for. It's garnered with a characteristic sound and thought-provoking narratives, which has come to stick to the artistic profile of project-leader Jens Unmack.
Right from the start, you sense the special nostalgic mood and that unique reflective soul of Unmack as we've come to know him, but these new songs appear to miss some of the potent power of a recognisable touch and the album simply feels less cohesive and impactful compared to their last three albums. The predecessor, Levende mænd i døde forhold (Oct. 2021), was perhaps most notable for its lyrical depth and together with Brænder boksen med smukke ting (Mar. 2019) and Risiko (Mar. 2017) these three all showcase well-crafted arrangements and emotional weight, cementing these as vintage years and basically as some of the band's finest records. Blues Europa doesn’t seem to fully replicate this tendency, though lyrically strong, it lacks some of the resonance that are trademarks of the predecessors.
On a national scale, the album has been met by almost universal acclaim, and as I do feel that it certainly provides us with a strong listen, with tracks reflecting on themes of European identity and where the ambition is clear, I just sense that the execution sometimes feels forced, making parts come out more like statements than a genuine musical journey. For all its flaws, Blues Europa still carries moments of brilliance, reminding fans why they love Love Shop in the first place. And in the end, it's still an album worth exploring, especially for loyal followers of the band, even if it doesn’t quite live up to the standards set by their recent works. I'm a bit doubtful about a conclusive grade, as I have read some extremely positive reviews, but still, I'm not convinced and I have so far settled my mind on 3,5 out of 5 stars, as I feel that it doesn't reach the level of the most recent three, which in the end puts it more alongside Kærlighed og straf from 2014.
[ Gaffa.dk, Politiken 5 / 6 stars ]
