Artist: Hjaltalφn
Title: Terminal
Label: Borgin
Genre: Rock
Bitrate: 174kbit av.
Time: 00:52:46
Size: 69.44 mb
Rip Date: 2010-04-09
Str Date: 2010-05-24
01. Suitcase Man 4:57
02. Sweet Impressions 5:33
03. Feels Like Sugar 5:08
04. Song From Incidental Music 5:34
05. Montabone 3:53
06. Stay By You 4:08
07. Hooked On Chili 5:03
08. Sonnet For Matt 4:26
09. 7 Years 3:53
10. Water Poured In Wine 3:44
11. Vanity Music 6:27
Release Notes:
The difficult second album. An infamous rock and roll dilemma. Where do
you go with a second album when the debut was a huge hit? The dilemma
is even harder when the debut is not only applauded by critics and the
self-proclaimed music elite, but the also the great unwashed album
buying (and not even regularly album buying) public. For completely
different reasons.
While Sleepdrunk Seasons topped many a ciritcÆs album review of the
year in 2007, the sale was relatively slow until the albumÆs re-issue
which included the mega-hit cover of Pßll ╙skarÆs ôTh· komst vid
hjartad i mΘr.ö All of a sudden there were two groups of Hjaltalφn
fans. One group was in awe of the huge chamber music sound, while the
other just wanted them to play at their wedding party.
So how do you please both fan bases? Well, HjaltalφnÆs answer on
Terminal is simple. You donÆt. The group makes a serious statement with
this album. That damn cover was all good fun, but is does not represent
what this band is all about. So to prove a point they go even further
down the classical music line.
The album is dark and quite honestly a challenging listen. But as a
follow-up to Sleepdrunk Seasons it really is a quite logical step.
People tend to forget that it wasnÆt exactly your average pop album.
You could say that while Sleepdrunk Seasons sounded like a movie
soundtrack, Terminal would be a soundtrack to a heavily dramatic
theatre piece.
In that fashion the albumÆs first half is a rollercoaster of emotions.
The irresistible ecstatic production of Bond theme ôFeels like Sugar,ö
the frantic feeling of the opening song ôSuitcase Manö and the paranoia
of ôSong from Incidental Music,ö which reminds me of one of David
BowieÆs paranoid rants on the fantastic 1. Outside.
But just as you are about to burst into tears after the sentimental ôA
Sonnet for Matt,ö Hjaltalφn throw you a couple of blatantly
stereotypical disco anthems: ô7 yearsö and ôWater Poured in Wine,ö
which are as appropriate here as a loud fart at a funeral. You really
donÆt know whether to laugh or cry.
After these two inappropriate fillers the grand finale finally arrives,
ôVanity Music.ö Complete with Stravinsky references. There just isnÆt
any middle of the road with this band.
Terminal is, if anything, more diverse than its predecessor, the
singing chore is divided more equally between the bandÆs two singers,
which adds to the diversity. In general it just has more of everything,
which is both good and bad.
The albumÆs biggest problem is that it is sometimes on the verge of
being over the top. In an interview I read, a band member described the
album as a cream cake as opposed to the simple biscuit that was the
debut album. That is probably an accurate description, but too much
cream cake will make you a bit queasy.
sire@hush.ai