Till Skogen
Cumbancha, 2022
10/10
The Swedish folk-pop outfit Kolonien return with a batch of anthemic, lush and worldly songs where the quartet address climate change, social media woes, community, aging and loss.
“Time Will Tell” starts the listen with bright guitars and agile strings, as the many voices emit a festive warmth, and “Drommen” follows with Anna Malmstrom’s clarinet and The Family Choir’s vocals complementing the breezy melodies and dreamy climate.
Further along, “Nattsudd” offers a calmer display of atmospheric and hazy strings, while “Farfars Jord” is full of intimate guitar playing and moody strings that complement the poetic display. “Varandra”, which is the best track present, then thumps louder amid a very stylish version of folk-rock meets indie-rock that incorporates African-Brazilian percussion.
Further down the line, “Till Skogen” hums warmly with sublime harmonizing that’s musically bare but vocally powerful, and “Unlearning” exits the listen acoustic guitar friendly and highly infectious in its adventurous delivery.
A family affair that consists of Anna Möller (strings, fiddle, vocals), Mischa Grind (percussion, organ, vocals), Erik Rask (bass, guitar, vocals) and Arvid Rask (guitar, slide, vocals), the inclusion of guests bringing along brass, winds, vocals, synth and keys helps make for a very eclectic outing that’s catchy, cultured and beaming with a rare creativity that makes this 3rd album one of the year’s best.
Travels well with: Dobet Gnahoré- Couleur; Lakou Mizik- HaitiaNola