Us And Them, the experimental Prog-Folk Swedish duo of Britt Ronnholm and Anders Hakason, return with their fourth studio album: The Lights And The Shadow. As an acid-folk duo, it is as a smartly-crafted exploration of sumptuous soundscapes and influences which range, explicitly, between the subtle and not-so-subtle.

Release Date: Available Now

Label: Fruits De Mer Records

Format: CD / Vinyl / Digital

BACK FROM THE BAROQUE 

View From The Sky Road, the album opener, is a poignant love note that meanders through a simple but expansive soundscape of birdsong and elegant finger-picking guitar. At the very start of the soundscape, a distinctive bike bell also chimes, setting the scene that this is a stroll through what many may consider a perfect morning. Britt Ronnholm even sings: ‘should I wake you up or exist in this moment’, perpetuating the idea that existence is not one to be rushed, but taken and enjoyed. This opening sentiment exists across each track within the album.

There is further traditional, whimsical folk in the aptly named second track, Around The Maypole (Once Again). Featuring baroque guitar playing and a voice of a time past, it’s a recognisable sound from Nordic folk and fits magically alongside the storytelling for which traditional folk is seldom matched. 

THE SPOKEN WORD

Get In The Swing has been teased as the leading single from the album and best represents the sound that has given them a rich following in the esoteric folk scene. Britt’s voice here dominates and creates intentional tension in the track, designed to pull listeners away from the ease of the opening tracks: ‘look round the corner, climb up a hill’. There is an unsettling eeriness here, and it is clearly no accident. It justifies the intentional structure if the album opening.

The acid-folk experimental sounds continue through Me And The Ones Before Me – the wide, unsettling strokes of sweeping vocals juxtaposed alongside deep harmonic backing vocals that cascade away effortlessly from the metronomic piano refrain. Yet, it’s when Britt drops in with a spoken section with existential questioning that the track truly sets itself apart from others on the album, and it shrieks with prog-folk: this is the genre at its crushing best.

PATCHWORK PINK FLOYD

Seldom, and perhaps to the loss of the music scene as a whole, does an artist release a self-titled song. Yet, in Us And Them, the band pen an unmistakable ode to the band, through their own release that gave them their name. This song serves as a fitting tribute to Pink Floyd, with layered sounds exploring multiple elements of prog rock and prog folk, alongside the whispering and purposefully diminutive ability of Britt Ronnholm. Taking folk into the realms of prog rock takes an audacity that they dish out freely in the Scandi-based heartlands: “we took it all for granted; now we’re the ones we always were” – a very fitting line for a warm nod of the cap to those that went before them, both lyrically and sonically.

There is further evidence of the rich veins of influence that have emboldened the Us And Them sound. If The Summer Lingers harks back to a softer folk sound, contemporary fans may think back to Midlake’s 2006 Van Occupanther for reference here. There’s muted percussion, rich imagery in the lyrics, and some neat chord patterns that are altogether softened through backing harmonies that give us that end-of-summer sound, the one that’s hazy yet amid a cooler wind. 

SPACE EXPLORATION

Things Obvious To Others subtly holds further, bolder exploration in the deep layers of the track. Sitting below a continuous piano refrain and some solid percussion, are the building blocks of a modern prog-folk sound that may well direct the next wave of Scandinavian sound. This is a track that elevates the closing of the album and offers new layers and a twisting ambiance that shows development not just as a group but within the album itself. This might well be the album’s most avant-garde track; there’s exploration of sound within the gaps of the track and it, without doubt, hits home.

This edgier slant is gets further space in I Was A Wayward Child. As the title suggests, it is a twisting, haunting delve into the experiences of a band unafraid to address the darker side of their recall. There is ease and unease threaded throughout the track, both in terms of the lyrics offered and the sculpting of the soundscape – yet nothing gets lost amid the vast array of sounds, themes and instruments featured throughout the track. At no point here, as the album draws to a close, do Us and Them intend to drift back to an easy, one-size-fits-all sound. That’s what compels here. This work moves at its own pace through the sounds and influences that are rich in bands who are unafraid to play against the grain. 

A WIDE & RICH PALETTE

Us And Them have no desire to hide their influences, and of these they have selected from a wide and rich palette. This is folk music as it must be now – brave yet whimsical; narrative without ambling; instrumentally diverse with the roots firmly grounded in tradition. This latest release from Us And Them is melancholy for those who want it in spades, yet with space for wide-ranging lyrical landscapes. The album showcases a notable maturity in sound compared to their previous three releases, hinting at promising future directions. The Pink Floyd influences don’t end with the name, but continue with rich instrumentation and excellent storytelling. There are no UK tour dates in the pipeline yet, but do not let that put you off digging deep in this and their previous three albums.

Us And Them: Website / Facebook / Bandcamp

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