Severin the Wanderer:
"This album will feel a departure to those familiar with earlier collections such as "Loney Noir." Those works had their dark undercurrents certainly, but were buoyed by a relentless rhythm, a boun..."
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Severin the Wanderer:
"This album will feel a departure to those familiar with earlier collections such as "Loney Noir." Those works had their dark undercurrents certainly, but were buoyed by a relentless rhythm, a bouncy synth-pop instrumentation and a sweetness that always reminded me of Harry Nilsson at his most toothsome. The synth is still with us on this new album, "Dear John," but it's used to a bleaker, less upbeat purpose. Whatever Emil Svanängen's subtext was during the conception of this album, it came from a much grimmer place than, say, "I Fought The Battle of Trinidad and Tobago" or "Sinister in a State of Hope." There's plenty sinister here but little hope, especially in songs like this one, an extended meditation on loneliness and loss. The album stands revealed as a soliloquy without an audience, a good-bye note to the character "Loney, noir" informed us was Svanängen himself (viz track 2 of that disc, "I am John"). How does one say farewell to oneself? In this case, with minor-key dance-friendly pop threnodies. I, on the other hand, as poster child for the eternal wellsprings of hope, will be seeing this Pagliacci set (with Andrew Bird) at the Orpheum scant weeks before emplaning for the land of dikes and my heart's desire. And while I love this new record, I will continue to act as if Pangloss had the inside track and the good cannot but win out at the last bell. Emil, you are not alone. Sometimes, behind the darkest doors, you will find the clearest light. JADA KSKM."
