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Reviews

Anekdoten — Gravity
(Bandcamp Virta 004, 2003, CD / DL)

Gravity Cover art

I sense the members of Anekdoten believe they’re close enough in sound and style to successful mainstream groups that it wouldn’t take much to push them into a larger public spotlight. And so we have Gravity, perhaps their most “commercial” outing to date, though that’s a relative term. The first two tracks, “Monolith” and “Ricochet,” burst out of the speakers, mixing Nicklas Barker’s (née Berg) overdriven guitar assault with Jan Erik Liljestrom and Peter Nordin’s relentlessly pounding rhythmic drive. Anna Sofi Dahlberg plays into the new sonic stance by leaving her cello in its case and concentrating entirely on keys, contributing plenty of patented Nordic Mellotron but on these two songs also taking a turn on the Farfisa. This, plus Jan Erik’s Jack-Bruce-meets-Mont-Campbell vocals lends the songs a 60s retro vibe heretofore not seen in Anekdoten music. Several other tracks (“The War Is Over,” “SW4,” “The Games We Play”) downshift to show a more laid-back side of the band, complete with acoustic guitars, vibes, and a hazy dreaminess that contrasts nicely to the album’s heavier material. And it wouldn’t be Anekdoten if it didn’t get heavy. The title track perhaps best reprises the band’s trademark style of alternating restrained lightness with furious hard rock, all within a bleak and brooding framework. The good news to come from it all is that I sense the overriding focus on songwriting and the crafting of arrangements to make an economical musical statement. As one might expect the results are unequivocally positive.

by Paul Hightower, Published 2003-12-01

The most distinctive things about Anekdoten have always been overdriven bass, Mellotron, cello, and the vocals. This CD answers the question of what happens when you remove two of those elements, namely the cello (though Anna Sofi Dahlberg is still in the band, she is not credited with any cello) and the fuzz bass. The guitar playing, vocals, and heavy use of Mellotron remain much the same as on past releases, though fewer songs lean on the heavy side of the band's style, calling for a cleaner bass sound. They've had their melodic, even acoustic moments from the beginning, but for Gravity, that aspect is magnified, and I for one am happy at the change. I wouldn't want this band to keep releasing Nucleus every few years, so a slight shift in orientation is welcome. I don't find the changes really effect the core of what the band is – the writing style is very similar, though the end results are filtered and arranged differently than they would have been five or ten years ago. Some of the quieter moments actually remind me of the acoustic tunes of Pink Floyd back around Atom Heart Mother or Ummagumma, the way the acoustic guitars, the Mellotron strings, and the melancholy vocals mesh together. And in case you didn't realize it, there's a lot of Mellotron on this album, mostly strings, but occasionally flutes. I'd say this is a damn fine CD, and can stand proudly with anything else they've put out.

by Jon Davis, Published 2003-12-01

I was heavily into this band, but it’s been about ten years since Vemod. Time has passed and I can barely remember Nucleus, and that is where my Anekdoten knowledge stops. It’s 2003 and judging from Gravity, not much time has passed at all. But that isn’t always a bad thing. Gravity returns to (or stays in) the comfortable niche Anekdoten originally crafted; gentle, aggressive, haunting, and beautiful; an update on King Crimson’s Starless. It doesn’t sound like King Crimson anymore, it sounds like Anekdoten. And they do it so well; you can’t help but like it. Gravity may not break any new ground, but it’s like a visit from an old friend. The perfect vocals, the guitar mayhem, the outstanding percussion and all that Mellotron. It washes over you like the sea, small waves and then wham, full force. This is where Anekdoten has really got it figured out, the sonic backdrop they create, which underlies all (item: this reviewer will always shed a tear with that much Mellotron). Alas Anna Sofi Dahlberg has put down the cello to become a keyboard player, but that’s okay. It separates this album from the others, and makes the Mellotron backdrop thicker. What I like about Gravity is simple; the songs are good, particularly "Ricochet." A driving anthem sounding more like U2 than KC. It isn’t Vemod, but it is a well-done effort and will find a way into your playlist.

by Dane Carlson, Published 2003-12-01

Filed under: New releases, Issue 28, 2003 releases

Related artist(s): Anekdoten, Nicklas Barker

More info
http://anekdoten.bandcamp.com/album/gravity

 

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