Fribytterdrømme

Superego

Written by: BV on 03/07/2017 09:35:50

I’ve been enthusiastically following Fribytterdrømme ever since first seeing them perform at the inaugural edition of Copenhagen Psych Fest back in 2014. With their debut album “Labyrintens Farver” from 2015 and the following “Fribytterdrømmen” single, the band did very little to deter me from following them vehemently for the next period of amazing live shows as they grew increasingly bigger and began reaching audiences quite foreign to those initially connected to these psychedelic rock exploits. As time has passed, the need for an album of new material became quite clear if the band were to continue their growth. With “Superego” they attempt just that.

Opening with “18.09.1986” the band immediately launch themselves into a territory fairly similar to earlier exploits like “Kosmonauten”. A repetitive, somewhat heavy riff makes up the foundation for a frenetic outburst of energy. As far as album openers go, this is quite the contrast to “Labyrintes Farver” which opened with the slowly unfolding “De Konstruerede”. In many ways it signifies a turn towards a more immediately gratifying sound, made specifically for the purpose of energetic live shows. The following track, “Pteranodon”, does little to destroy this notion as it latches on to an almost 80’s alt-rock sounding vibe filled with the kind of hooks you’d expect of something like that – all topped off with Lau Pedersen’s cryptic lyrics.

In that sense it is quite interesting to note that although the tracks seem more immediate and instantly gratifying than those of the band’s earlier material, they seemingly fail to have much of the same lasting effect. - At least on me. Following numerous listens I still fail to latch on to something amazing about “Superego”. “18.09.1986” is an interesting track in and of itself, but not exactly groundbreaking. Longer, more experimental efforts like “De Elysianske Mysterier” attempt to latch on to the same enthralling soundscape which made, and still makes, “Fribytterdrømmen” such an immense track to listen to. They fall short, however.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, since the production is in many ways flawless – as is the musicianship. In a sense it could just be attributed to the tracks not being as good as those on the debut. There is of course the cliché of the notoriously hard follow-up album to consider. “Søg Det Højeste” is perhaps the biggest deviant on the album as it introduces an electronic, almost Madchester sounding beat to the proceedings – making the genre-blend seem that much more confusing altogether. It adds little to the overall soundscape, but doesn’t subtract either.

In my opinion it would seem that Fribytterdrømme have fallen victim to the idea of following up on a highly successful album by delivering something that is sub-par given the band’s relative standard. These tracks are good, yes. But they lack the greatness that made the band so enthralling in the first place.

7

Download: 18.09.1986, Verden Ender for Dine Fødder
For The Fans Of: Skalkeskjul, De Underjordiske, Spids Nøgenhat
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 07.04.2017
Tabu Records


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