PREVIEW: Heyerdahl - "ØEN"

Heyerdahl's debut kicks off with a crawling bass line that sounds almost like Joy Division's "Dead Souls" before the high, boyish vocals start. "Know one knows what happened to the man who built our homes", muses the vocalist, mysteriously. These lyrics tell a story that we are only partially able to understand, arriving midway through the plot (in media res, as Virgil would say). The track sets the tone for the entire album in the sense that the players and vocals never go above a dull roar, for more than a moment. Even during the song's climax, every note is totally controlled and deliberate. Even though the drum and bass do almost all of the heavy lifting, rhythmically, there is still a steady rocking feel. Heyerdahl is saying a lot with little, here.

The rest of the album is carried out with the same spartan simplicity and melancholy slowness: the antithesis to the typical naive, sunshine-and-daisies-garbage so many other indie-pop styled bands seem to put out. Track "Blood" is written in the same style but with the addition of some synths and vibraphone. But even with the different layers, it all sounds so cohesive and essential to the overall product. No deadwood to be cut out, sonically.

The sombre mood, quiet volume and loping tempo (and hell, even the vibraphone) bring to mind Danish rockers Kashmir: a band that never achieved great commercial success outside of their home country. Hopefully, Heyerdahl will be able to bring the same musical ideas and feelings to the world in a way Kashmir never could. Given the success of similar bands (in a similar region) like Miike Snow and Peter Bjorn and John, the US is ready for Heyerdahl and the focused, restrained songwriting they employ.

"Mirage" is the only single currently available for listening. The full album will drop on January 28th.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Kashmir is one of my all-time-favorite modern bands. I didn't want to distract by saying so in the body of the review, but if you've never listened to Kashmir, they're some of the best music from the mid 90s to early 2000s.