Immanu El is a young Swedish five-piece producing an indie/post-rock with a sweet Nordic vibe. After a demo and a first album 'They'll come, they come' that enthusiasted critics, they're releasing their sophomore album 'Moen'.
Claes Strängberg's voice is still as sweet as a lullaby. So logically it isn't a bad thing that there's much more vocals on this album. In fact, the band moved away from their atmospherical post-rock sound to embrace indie-rock. They're not Death Cab For Cutie yet, but there's a strong pop influence on this record ('Lionheart') and less captivating soundscapes. 'Archers' would not have been far from Anchor & Braille or Copeland's last effort if it wasn't for the airy guitars. 'Moen' feels more personal and detached from their obvious previous influences (Explosions In The Sky, Sigur Rós), they've speeded up the pace, experimented more dynamics and harmonies (the violins on 'Storm') and if their sound may have matured, it is not really what I was expecting from them. However, it may be indie, but it's upscale indie: the percussions give depth to the songs, the songwriting is great, so is the production and some parts are pure bliss ('May' and its imposing drums) but in the end, there aren't jaw-dropping moments and it moves me less than 'They'll come, they come'. I hope this rock turn won't make them end up on a 'Grey's anatomy' soundtrack, but maybe that's what they want. Still, 'Moen' is a good album from a great band.
3.5/5
Recommanded if you like:
The Appleseed Cast, Ef, Copeland
Check also:
Kyte, Blueneck, Codes In The Clouds
www.myspace.com/immanuelband
(And The Sound Records, 2009)
Recommanded if you like:
The Appleseed Cast, Ef, Copeland
Check also:
Kyte, Blueneck, Codes In The Clouds
www.myspace.com/immanuelband
(And The Sound Records, 2009)
Totalement d'accord, Moen est vraiment bon, même si je regrette les passages instrumentaux, yen a trop peu sur celui là, et ils sont tellement réussis que c'est dommage.
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