LET ME BE A GHOST

KRISTOFFER GILDENLÖW, known with 'The Rain' and his cold, morbid, melancholy sensibility. He is known as the bassist of PAIN OF SALVATION, musician of DIAL and finally of KAYAK. He is a multi-instrumentalist who allows himself to send you with this 4th opus in cold universes where art-rock is king; psyche, dark crossover, indie pop, avant-garde and retro folk, all mixed up to make one think of SOLSTAFIR, JAPAN, Roger WATERS, BLACKFIELD and especially Leonard COHEN. Dark, melancholic atmospheres, filled with hope and musical freshness. An intimate record to listen to at nightfall to wash away the current sinister global atmosphere.

"Let Me Be a Ghost Pt. I" start soft, cold, deep, icy, minimalist; the dark, slow voice of Kristoffer. Dark whispers then a captivating intimate final climb to freeze you. "The Wind" on icy piano keys, vocal chord with Ronja to give warmth to this melancholy monolithic track up to the joyful drums-guitar sound explosion, the spleen seems to freeze the atmosphere and this piano which leaves in ether at the end! "Blame It All on Me" on an acoustic guitar basis, reminding me of his last album where I spoke of the late Leonard COHEN whose aura seems to me to hover here; a characteristic phrasing that allows you to dive into a melancholy rhyme of great beauty, an austere instrumental finale to finish.

"Falling, Floating, Sinking" and this startling spleen intro; icy but delicate, dark but filled with hope; Kristoffer uses his voice as an additional plaintive instrument to give more intensity to this morose title; the second hard part, heavy, unhealthy, refers to the shameful pleasure of associating the slowness of doom with progressive sidereal beauty; immense dreamlike title with its tribal percussion. "Fleeting Thought" with a crystalline riff giving in the wanderings of the PAIN OF SALVATION, search for simple and brutal emotion; a waltzing tune between the voice and the banjo guitar which also recalls ANATHEMA; plaintive, emotional, musical abyss with a high-end guitar solo by Marcel de KAYAK; title on mental distress magnified, enlivened; final in decrescendo as if to bring you to your senses and not to get lost.

"Fade Away" with a new shade of COHEN, a title where the voice is magnified by the basic guitar, or vice versa; it is vibrant, sumptuous, always bordering on imposing and important distress; keyboard tempo and voice. Here, I really have the impression of hearing a meow, keep the air on a cheerful note; almost paradoxical vis-à-vis the start, final which stretches again with some divine piano notes. "Don't" and its acoustic guitar, a title flayed as an extension, a surprising dark Andalusian atmosphere, background backing vocals and applause from the hands!

"Lean on Me" on a sound reminiscent of COHEN, ANATHEMA and PAIN OF SALVATION before exploding, a dark title that fills the air; warm choirs with the voice of Erna capsize you; Kristoffer uses his voice intensely, accompanied by an aerial guitar. "Let Me Be a Ghost Pt. II" for the vibrant instrumental remake, where the atmosphere refers for a time to the notes of 'The Wall', then the piano, a distant rolling reminiscent of an intro of TANGERINE DREAM, the guitar adds pleasant melancholy to capsize our senses; it's beautiful and dark, almost unreal. "Still Enough" for the most basic and moving title can be, voice scratched on an air of languid funeral march; the spleen is at this price, be careful remember to take a box of tissues.

"Where I Ought to Be" and the rising acoustic guitar, go the spaghetti western is not far; folk, country, emotionality, musical invitation to travel beyond borders, the most cheerful monolithic title. "Let Me Be a Ghost Pt. III" heady cover, softer here, as if to rest from this long journey; sudden atmosphere of the end of the world, it cracks, the piano, the guitar rather remind me of this brightening of the renewal of the World, the ANATHEMAs will love if they go through it, it's intense and torrid at the same time. "Look at Me Now" final lament, serenity, ethereal atmosphere of beauty, a little WATERS in the background, sometimes it does not take much to have the best!

Kristoffer therefore sends us to austere and luxuriant lands, dark, icy and filled with emotion; he does not content himself with spitting notes, he throws them in your face so that you breathe them and that they are incorporated into your gray substance; the minimalist side makes you think even more and participate in this musical maelstrom in which you will not return safe; an album bordering on concept for the musical darkness generated, an intimate and magnificent opus to listen to with headphones, strong on the system. To listen imperatively. Each listening may amaze you. Personally, it is even better than its predecessor and the rating may be higher for you depending on your current condition.