Den Der Hale – ‘Pastoral Light’ album review: a hypnotic Nordic saga
THE SKINNY: Mälmo’s Den Der Hale have returned with their second album, Pastoral Light. Released on UK indie Fat Cat Records, this body of work is another potent mass of psychedelic textures evoking the icy wind-swept vistas of their native Sweden. Produced by the band, it sees them refine the atmospheric sound they established on their 2021 debut offering, Harsyra.
The five-piece, comprised of guitarist/vocalist Pontus Lindskogen, synth player/vocalist Mimosa Baker, guitarist Max Bredberg, bassist Ejner Trenter, and drummer Axel Nelson, have continued to push their own creative boundaries with Pastoral Light. On the record, they head in a more spacious direction than their first offering, with the suspense increased and the darkness more palpable due to creeping, more expansive pieces that lean heavier into the caverns of post-rock.
Mesmeric, pulsating and extremely gothic at points, Den Der Hale have resoundingly demonstrated with their new effort why they are a band that deserves more attention. With her otherworldly, syren-like harmonies, vocalist Mimosa Baker not only leads the charge floating on top of Trenter’s swollen basslines, but she adroitly evokes the spiritual history of Nordic countries and the contemporary era’s growing fascination with neo-paganism in all its forms. Also drawing upon the work of auteur Béla Tarr and an obscure French musical from 1970, there’s an eerie and droning undercurrent to Pastoral Light.
I would caveat the praise by saying that some of the songs feel like they get stuck with where to go next, and instead of crashing into the rocks like some of the finest moments on their debut, they fall away into languishing on dynamics and sonics that could have been much more assertive. However, as a whole, it makes for a compelling listen, with enough twists and turns to keep you locked in.
For fans of: The blood eagle, woad face paint, LSD, and foraging for non-hallucinogenic mushrooms.
A concluding comment from Tom’s mother: “Gave me an uneasy feeling like I was being entrapped like that fellow on the Wicker Man. And then reminded me to record the new True Detective episode.”
Pastoral Light track by track:
Release Date: 2 February | Producer: Den Der Hale | Label: Fat Cat Records
‘A Part Of Wrath And Stone’: The album’s opener aptly sets the precedent for what’s to come. Opening with a distant drone, a distinct krautrock rhythm and rumbling bassline promptly burst through the mix as the guitars weave in and out of the space the rhythm section leaves in their trembling wake. Adding extra excitement, Baker’s vocals are particularly haunting across its runtime. Overall, though, the song loses its potency towards the end as it lacks genuine firepower and fails to make good on the promise of the first couple of minutes, but The Phantom of the Opera-esque at the end were a welcome treat that somewhat salves this feeling. [3/5]
‘Horse From Turin’: The lead single of Pastoral Light commences with an attention-grabbing bassline that brings elements of no wave and Swans to mind. Making the feeling of evil more prominent than in the opener, the double-tracked vocals of Baker have a significant hand in this, with the delay-drenched, crawling guitars also particularly arresting. Although it also fails to actually do anything that makes you go ‘Wow’, the textures are fun, and I respect the band for slowly building it up and not giving the listener what they want. An exercise in restraint, if you will. [3/5]
‘By Pastoral Light’: All over Pontus Lindskogen’s vocals here. Deep, covered in effects, and direct, they are the perfect counterpart to the hypnotic thuds of the toms. It continues to churn in this repetitive fashion, creating a form of hypnosis, as the guitars gradually up their ferocity and drone manically in the background. [4/5]
‘The Frail’: A more minimalist piece. The chanted vocals and slow, two-note bounce on the bass prompt attention, with icy guitar drones and the creaking percussive elements underpinning them, fusing together to make one of the best moments on the album. The darkness is highly on the nose, and it’s great; it’s made for the live setting. It’s also the perfect soundtrack to an Italian Giallo film. [4/5].
‘Old Blood’: First of all, what a brilliant song title. It captures the essence of the track and album. Secondly, the intricate guitar melody that starts this one is one of the finest guitar performances I’ve heard in a while, brimming with ingenuity and genuine talent. It’s like Jonny Greenwood’s reworking of Electric Counterpoint had a baby with Goblin’s soundtrack to Suspiria.
The most esoteric offering on the album instantly makes the hair on the back of your neck stand to attention, with the ominous bass and guitars gripping in the first half. At 12 minutes long, there are moments where you snap out of this daze, making you rue a missed opportunity for something really all-encompassing, but the churning climax at the end is enough not to be too negative about it. [3.5/5]
‘Point Of No Recourse’: A brief demonic burst that clocks in under a minute and acts as an epilogue to the previous track; it recalls the more electrifying junctures on Harsyra and is a welcome change of pace. [3/5]
‘Halvmesyr’: An instrumental that chills the cockles, this twist of dark ambient not only points to the artistic breadth of Den Der Hale but perhaps even suggests the route they might take in the future. A fitting soundtrack to the coming of the Frost Giants. [3/5]
‘Donkey Skin’: Another slower, more ethereal piece in the broader spirit of the album, ‘Donkey Skin’, is in no rush, with the reverb on the drums and Baker’s emotive vocals, with the effective reverse-delay on the backing vocals, conjuring vivid mental images. The parting gift of the sermon Den Der Hale have created in Pastoral Light aptly brings to mind the bucolic ancient past of Europe and its enigmatic, non-Christian traditions and a touch of regret at the lost simplicity of those times. I could listen to this for hours on repeat – hauntingly beautiful. [5/5]
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