Today's feature suggestion comes from Progbear. Obscure Danish band sure to turn some heads...
Review from Madnest:
5 years later Savage Rose returned with this mostly Danish language album. I’m not quite sure what to make of it. It never even tries to rock in the typical sense, there’s practically no R & B influence whatsoever, and none of the individual tracks seem designed to make huge impressions on the listener. It’s not really a pop album at all – more of a Psych-Folk record. It’s got probably the most psychedelic atmosphere to grace a Rose record since “In The Plain,” but the writing here is quite different to that of the early material. Things are far more subtle now – even Annisette sounds relatively subdued. The arrangements are very free sounding much of the time, as if the record was the result of a series of jam sessions rather than serious sessions intended to bring the name back into the limelight. That being said, the vocals are still excellent. The keyboard playing is creative and slightly “off” in the old Koppel way. There’s a very breezy and comfortable feeling to this record, as if the band felt they had nothing to prove and could just smoke some grass and mess around a bit. None of the songs REALLY go anywhere – witness the nearly 9 minute “Johnny Don’t,” where Annisette endlessly repeats the same pretty low-key folk vocal melody while the band noodles about behind her. It’s hypnotizing in a way, but if you pay too close attention you might just find it dull as diapers. Same goes with the slow burn psych jam “You’ll Know In The Morning,” which is the other English language track here (along with “Johnny Don’t”). It could have been in Swahili for all I care since it’s just the title phrase repeated over and over again. The Danish songs range in quality a bit, and they’re mostly super simple melodically, but there’s usually something interesting enough about them to capture my interest. My favorite comes right near the end of the record – “Inuit Nu” – a gorgeous stripped down folk song with Annisette singing a haunting melody atop only an acoustic guitar. I know the band moved into protest folk territory on their handful of Danish language 80s records – I haven’t heard those albums, but if they sound anything like this song I’d love to check ‘em out at some point! I don’t know what Annisette is singing about on much of this record, as I don’t speak the language. But other minor highlights include the “Dodens Triumf”-esque “De Vilde Blomster Gror” and the jazzy title track which sports a fantastic vocal and some fusion-y guitar work. The tune sneakily works in a Latin rhythmic vibe, especially as concerns the phrasing of the memorable chorus hook. A neat track. And a neat little record. A step up from “Wild Child,” and a sign that there was still life in the band even after a 5 year break. The band took another big break after this one – at least, as far as studio records go. They were touring and working throughout the 80s, mostly concerning themselves with political music and Danish language protest records (though I think only Annisette and Thomas Koppel remained the constant members). There are a couple 90s and 2000s English language pop records. But I think it’s safe to say the end of the 70s marks the end of “classic” era Savage Rose, and so that’s where I sign off.
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Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor
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