Last Christmas meant another gift in the form of an LP, and a continuation of my brother's tradition, to give me records with Uppsala-based music (Uppsala is our home town in Sweden). Trummor & Orgel (which translates to Drums & Organ) is a duo from Uppsala, consisting of the brothers Staffan and Anders Ljunggren. As the band name suggests, the band's setting is primarily drums and organ, although some other instrument might sneak in, such as guitar (and synthesizer, but I kind of see that as belonging to the organ landscape). According to Discogs, Indivisibility is the seventh album by the duo, and the first in my collection.
So, how fun can it be with music that's only created with drums and organ? A feeling of doubt might arise. Is it possible to vary? Isn't the soundscape a bit empty? Although I'm from Uppsala, this record is my first meeting with the band, and because of its unusual setting, I had a somewhat cautious attitude. But already the first song forces me to open up, and embrace the music. I suddenly understood all the praise I've heard about the duo. It's a really groovy and fun album.
It's somewhat difficult to describe the music. A mixture of pop, jazz and psychedelia. It's quite uptempo, and even though the setting has a 70s aura, the sound feels new and fresh. The soundscape is also larger and fuller than one might expect, and it doesn't in any way sound stripped. It's music that you can both sit down and listen to carefully, but it also works well as background music, when doing other things. The band may be tired of the constant comparisons with Hansson & Karlsson, the Swedish duo from the late 60s, with a similar setting, but the similarities between them makes the connection difficult to ignore. Now, the fact is that I haven't heard much with the 60's version of Trummor & Orgel, so I'm just going to mention its existence. Neither do I have any of Trummor & Orgel's previous albums, so I can't compare Indivisibility with their earlier work either. I'm content with the fact that this is a really good album I'm happy to own, and can recommend it, especially if you like the Hammond organ and music with a slightly different sound.
Tracklist Side A
1 Metropolis
2 Imaginary Friends
3 Debonair
4 Hindsight
5 Slippery
Side B
1 Enigma
2 Togetherness
3 Transcendence
4 Zodiac
Saturday, February 2, 2019
A Place To Bury Strangers - "Worship" (2012)
This album was one of the Christmas presents I received from my family, always a nice surprise, especially as my wife has no idea what she's buying. This was a new band to me, and to her. Apparently, they have been given the title New York's loudest band. I can hear why.
This was the three man band's third album, and the listener gets exposed to a veritable auditory crushing. Grinding and tearing guitars dominate, played through various effects, which cut right into your marrow. The album has some kind of 80s feel to it, and it somewhat resembles Sisters Of Mercy or Jesus and Mary Chain, in a more extreme version. Shoegazing is a definition that's often used for the band's music, there is something dreamy about the songs in the middle of the noise, and sometimes I think this would be Spiritualized and Smashing Pumpkins if they made music together.
At first, I had difficulties with the record, it was too brutal and loud, it was difficult to discern what was under the noise. But the more I listen to it, the better I like it. If you have become somewhat friends with the sound, then the songs are pretty good. Despite this, the opening song on side B, Dissolved, is probably my favorite, as it's the album's quietest, and closest to what can be described as easily accessible. Overall, a rather difficult and dark record, which is definitely a challenge. Allmusic uses the following adjectives for the album's mood: Aggressive, Druggy, Hypnotic, Volatile, Atmospheric, Dramatic, Intense, Trippy, Cathartic and Tense / Anxious. From this perspective, the music is either very broad and all-embracing, or totally schizophrenic.
Tracklist Side A
1 Alone 2:27
2 You Are The One 4:09
3 Mind Control 3:14
4 Worship 3:55
5 Fear 4:51
6 Why I Can't Cry Anymore 3:41
Side B
1 Dissolved 5:23
2 Revenge 5: 5
3 And I'm Up 3:46
4 Slide 3:39
5 Leaving Tomorrow 4:16
