ATLANTER - Jewels Of Crime

Atlanter is a Norwegian collective led by singers and guitarists Jens Carelius and Arild Hammerø, who made their debut three years ago with “Vidde”, a record that went largely unnoticed despite an intriguing blend of folk, blues and art-rock, all played with an adventurous spirit. Still showing a certain freedom in the way they approach their various influences (after all, “vidde” is a Norwegian term that refers to precisely this urge to broaden horizons, and “viddeblues” is the name the band has chosen to define its own music...), the group confirms its state of grace with these eleven brand-new tracks, in which Carelius and co., while crossing paths with other sonic suggestions, also show they've leaned toward relatively more “pop” territory.

Opened by the melancholy Pink Floyd-esque strokes of “Hatimanin” (which will echo again, clouded over, in the brief interlude of “Alba”), “Jewels Of Crime” immediately goes into orbit with a “Light” that holds together funk-edged angles, sparkling pop exuberance and chiaroscuro emphasis, a compelling and catchy number that will later find worthy companions in “Let It Fade” (where strange Mike Oldfield echoes – via “Tubular Bells” – blend into Talking Heads suggestions and world-music in miniature), in a title track that makes Steely Dan the guardian angels of early Yeasayer (whereas in “Jareeze” the same synthesis, tossed this way and that by geometric interweaving and noisy counterpoints, takes on psych overtones) and, again, in the splendid “Wear The Rag”, whose post-punk undercurrent explodes into a sticky chorus, before giving itself over to a motorik pulse.

“Jewels Of Crimes” is, in short, a small merry-go-round of genres and styles, in which the energy unleashed by the most arresting numbers is perfectly balanced by the more intimate moments, such as the Tinariwen-orbiting desert-blues of “Love Shine”, the seaside acoustic guitar of “Merula”, or the mid-air soul of “Human vs. Human”, which dissolves into psychedelic rapture.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

30/06/2016