Er Noget Smukt Glemt Findes Det Muligvis – Under Byen Er Noget Smukt Glemt Findes Det Muligvis – Under Byen (Buy)

Under Byen (Danish for under the city), a Danish band , are masters of dark, moody, unintelligible (to me, because I’m not Danish) music. And their first LP since 2006 is no different. Alt Er Tabt (All is Lost) is an orchestral album full of melancholic and energetic sounds and abstract noises. In this release, the band pushes sound and noise boundaries and makes a sound that is basically all their own.

Because I’m not Danish, you’re going to have to bear with me on these song titles! Ikke Latteren Men Ojeblikket Lige Efter is one of my favorite songs, due to the interesting contrast of the upbeat and sweeping background tones with lead singer Henriette Sennenvaldt’s sad, yet commanding voice. Many of the tracks are very sweeping, yet full of weird sounds.  Ikke Latteren…, for example, left me wondering, what is that boom? What is that steel?

The listening experience was unlike most other listening experiences for other albums I’ve reviewed. Though the album was in Danish, I felt like I completely understood due to the mood and tones of each song. 8 has Iron & Wine like background music, yet heavenly and breathy lead vocals. The whole album is kind of like a heavenly trip, full of foreign sounds and words and tones.

Kaptiel 1 is striking with its muted vocals and loud/soft wooden sounds. Alt Er Tabt has a rollicking guitar beat (many critics have compared the album to a Danish version of Black Sabbath), but also the same moody vocals and tones as the other songs. Each song has its own story, and lucky for the listeners, it’s understood no matter what language. If you’re a fan of Sigur Rós or Bjork, you will love this album. And me, I give it a 5.9/10.