Prodigious producer of music produces another album of idiosyncratic ‘anti-folk’.
There is great charm in this album of irreverent and seemingly naive songs from this side project from Herman Dune. The album opens with a walking blues shuffle with Afro guitar and a spoken word chorus of the song’s title ‘If I Can Bring It To My Lips’. It is unusual and sets the tone for what follows. There are lots of narrative and a spiralling guitar compete with choruses and interjections of percussion or voices. The Moroccan in Brinks – he is half Moroccan and half Swedish – informs his guitar style throughout the songs. It’s a gnarly, sharp and sweet-toned thing that tends to lead the vocals and shape the songs. Each song plays out at roughly the same pace, not much faster than the aforementioned walking shuffle. Lyrically the songs are ruminations on life and the difficulties facing us all. ‘Always the Same‘ is the most delightful of them all with the sardonic lyricism and chorus creating a beguiling stew of indifference: “it all turns to shit and no one’s to blame”
Some tracks leave this listener cold. ‘Dead Bug’ should have been called ‘dull bug’ and ‘Don’t Go’ should have gone in the editing bin but otherwise this is an album full of warmth and whimsy that just about manages to not outstay its welcome, even after repeated plays.
