It's extremely hard defining the genre of this album, it has a Rock core but also takes on heavy, progressive, melodic, acoustic and melancholic shapes, one thing's for sure, if you give it time you will be rewarded.
It balances between mellow and intense...a contrast that keeps it continually propulsive.
Mikkel Schack has been in the Danish music business for some time, playing in LIMF and involved in a range of other projects. For this album he has written ten songs and gathered a bunch of talented musicians to help with the process of making them come to life.
Right from the beginning
Doing Time paints a mysterious, dark-toned and playful colour. Mikkel's sensitive and versatile voice adds light and character to a song that halfway changes momentum and gradually moves into groovier waters.
Scary when everything you say
Turns darker everyday
How wrong words get in the way
And take you someplace unlike your intention
I think these words give a pretty good impression of the albums lyrical aspect, interesting indeed.
As Good As It Gets embarks on more accessible direction, having a simple but extremely addictive chorus line. Heavy riffing crystallised with a great break towards the end again highlights an album with songs where you never really know what to expect.
Jacob Hansen has contributed with a thick, tight and also quite delicate sound, matching the diverse musical detours perfectly.
Anthem Of The Different with its hard-hitting vibe and deep-rooted bass lines comes off with impressive power.
A clever mix of acoustic and electric guitars
set a unique sedative mood for
Getting Older? to unfold a calm but still vivid expression.
A favourite moment on the album comes when
From Time To Time (I Loose My Mind) takes a giant leap forward from a slow build-up into a crushing rhythm attack with aggressive drumming and groovy guitar playing. The chorus lacks a more dynamic touch but this is still a tight and overall good song.
Treadmill offers a critical comment on humanity's ability to socialise and manages to inject different choirs, shifts in structure and minor musical details so that a song that could haven ended up a bit static doesn't.
I really like that this album feels personal and has a strong emotional side,
Surreal/So Real becomes so amazingly authentic through a brilliant melodic refrain and lyric that expresses genuine feelings. A hypnotic and extremely warm mood is brilliant created through teasing guitar leads and a jamming rhythm section.
Nothing has a pretty effectual chorus and a suiting laid back guitar solo but it's like something is missing for it to stand out, one of the few moments on this album where things gets a bit predictable.
It's like a dark shrouded veil hangs around
Where Are We Heading?, mysterious harmonies and grave atmospheres set the tone in a rather fragmented song, not really finding it's own read line with almost 8-minutes... but still an interesting experiment.
Never Talk To Strangers is an appealing ballad based on caressing and wonderful played acoustic guitar with the company of placid vocals.
There are some fascinating lyrical compositions to dig out from this album, circling around depression, betrayal, loss of faith, evaluating life and also a glimpse of hope shines through
from time to time.
This is all in all a really captivating album with great performances all around; I do wish some of the "half guitar solos" where extended into full blown ones but we are talking trifles here.
At the end of the day, I take myself in humming different melodies and vocal lines of these long lasting tracks, proof of strong and effectual song writing skills.
A refreshingly innovative, thoughtful and memorable release.
Written by
Tommy Monday, October 22, 2007
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