DAVID LUND - Ever

10 songs
59:01 minutes
***** ****
Depot 2014

Bandpage

Usually I am having a hard time with quieter music, but there are exceptions to the rule. As inconspicuous as the artist’s name may seem, the music could give a similar impression upon cursory inspection. But the composer from Brussels has the skills to craft deep and thoughtful songs. Apart from songwriting duties, David Lund is also in charge of the vocals and plays the bass guitar. Some of his colleagues from his earlier bands Nox and Audiograd help out on violin, wind instruments and percussion.

Ever is thus the first solo album by David Lund. It starts very quietly with only acoustic instruments. Lund has a very melancholic voice, and even though the opener Visual Side Effects comes with multiple vocals later on, the sound always remains quite minimalist. The moods change occasionally, but don’t expect Lund to ever sound happy. Gloomy, dreamy, sad, desperate are a couple of adjectives that come to mind when I have to describe the atmosphere prevailing on Ever. The highlight on Ever comes with the ultra-dark You Are where Lund sounds distraught and fragile, and one gets the impression that he actually might need professional help.

This is followed by some a little more positive material. The shy Embrace reminds me Seu Jorge and would have perfectly fitted on the soundtrack of The Life Aquatic. There are also some electronic components, as can be heard on Head On A Pillow. Fruit and Staring At Windows have a jazz flair. The atmospheric title track also comes with excellent wind instruments. The concluding It’s A Crime is a cover version of a Sade song, with Lund giving it some kind of Robert Wyatt treatment.

If you like Mark Hollis, Radiohead and Madrugada, you should definitely put David Lund on your shopping list. Ever has turned out to be a very varied and deep experience. Despite the songs sounding quite different from each other, the thread of melancholy is keeping the whole thing together.