Having already received acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone and 6Music’s Lauren Laverne for his previous project The Migrant, Danish musician Bjarke Bendtsen is now set to share his new album from his latest venture Rainbrother.
A charming collection of ten tracks, Tales From The Drought oozes cinematic sounds alongside heartfelt emotion. With sweeping melodies reminiscent of Fleet Foxes’ early work, and shades of the sheer intense power of Radiohead, it’s a truly captivating creation.
Album opener ‘Riverside’ is a cinematic instrumental start to the collection. Flowing with twinkling, uptempo melodies, it’s a perfect introduction to the delicate beauty that’s to come.
Following atmospheric second track ‘East African Dream’, we’re treated to our first taste of Bendtsen’s raw vocals in the anthemic ‘Crow’. As delicate melodies are strummed, it exudes an endearing sense of vulnerability as it builds into a multi-layered, musically rich ballad.
‘Juggler’, on the other hand, is a more uptempo offering with its impassioned vocals flowing alongside catchy hooks and gentle beats. Returning to a sense of sweeping emotion is ‘Birds Don’t Fly’; filled with intricate finger-picking, and shades of Eastern influences, it’s a subtly powerful folk-fused creation.
Lead single ‘Blue’ sees those distinctive vocals of Bendsten’s gliding across the top of soaring sunny melodies. An upbeat fusion of sounds, it’s a gentle slice of folk pop that’ll have your feet-tapping as you drift into its dreamy haze.
Following track ‘Break Out’ is just that – a break away from the intense emotion of the rest of the album, it’s an energy-filled offering as racing hooks pick up the tempo substantially.
As the hazy, scuzzy vibes of ‘Fat Eggs’ are juxtaposed with the resplendent delicacy and fragile power of the whirring reverb of ‘Hanging’, album closer ‘The Sun’ is an epic finale at nearly eight minutes. Bursting with a heartfelt majestic grandeur, it builds to a soaring climax with a heart-wrenching power before returning to the gentle, effervescent melodies it started with. A fitting end to this simply gorgeous collection of songs.
Each track on this album oozes its own beautifully ethereal quality that is sure to captivate and draw you in at first listen.
Produced by Noah Georgeson (The Strokes, Joanna Newsom), Tales From The Drought is out 3rd February via General Bird.