Elias Rønnenfelt – ‘Heavy Glory’ album review: poetic and cinematic
THE SKINNY: After releasing five albums as the lead singer of Iceage, Denmark’s finest punk band, Elias Rønnenfelt has made his first solo record, Heavy Glory. Dialling down the freneticism that defines much of Iceage’s output, Rønnenfelt instead focuses most of his attention – and ours – on his lyrical content, predominantly using stripped-back instrumentation.
Swapping out intense riffs for more artful violins and mellowed guitars, Rønnenfelt’s vocals are at the heart of the record – that signature voice of his that often sounds a little unstable. This serves his work, of course. Every song has an added layer of emotional intensity as a result of his voice, which often features a passionate or pained quality – sometimes both at once.
It makes sense that various songs on the album, like ‘Another Round’ and ‘Stalker’, are also the names of acclaimed films. There is a cinematic quality to Rønnenfelt’s record, which moves through dramatic themes like longing, nostalgia, desperate love, and navigating life and relationships as you exit your 20s. Written near the end of the pandemic, the record feels almost transitional – like the processing of thoughts as the worst comes to an end, a crack of light peeking through.
This glimmer of hope can be found in the two covers that end the record, Spaceman 3’s ‘Sound of Confusion’ (where he sings “Long long time between now and my death/ And I gotta have my fun, so I’ve chosen what’s best”) and Townes Van Zandt’s ‘No Place To Fall’. There are many moments of melancholy and contemplativeness, but this is not a sad album. Rather, Rønnenfelt captures life in varying, often fleeting states. Of longing and loss, of lust and pain.
It wouldn’t be unfair to say, however, that Rønnenfelt’s lyrics are the strongest elements of the record. While there are many beautiful moments filled with pianos, strings, and accompanying female backing vocals, there are certain tracks that just don’t have the most memorable instrumentals, with Rønnenfelt dragging his voice along over forgettable guitars.
Still, Heavy Glory has a lot to love. The album revels in equal parts pain and beauty, often using visceral and animalistic imagery that feels refined and poetic. Rønnenfelt demonstrates the breadth of his talent here and will surely attract the attention of folk fans with this one.
For fans of: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, wearing a trench coat, and scrawling poetic musings in a notebook you always keep inside of it.
A concluding comment from my housemate: “I was going to suggest that this man also write a poetry book, but as it turns out, he already has. Alas, if he ever wants to quit music, he knows what path to take.”
Heavy Glory track by track:
Release Date: October 25th | Producer: Nis Bysted & Elias Rønnenfelt | Label: Escho
‘Like Lovers Do’: “Reminiscing sure do come at a cost,” Rønnenfelt tells us. The musician provides some interesting lyrics here, establishing themes of both pain and love, while taking slight inspiration from country rock to form the instrumentation. [3/5]
‘Another Round’: Rønnenfelt uses some animalistic imagery, like a snake shedding its skin and a “slow march to the slaughterhouse,” as guitars and harmonica rumble in the background. The instrumentation is upbeat, offering hope and perseverance against the chaos of life. [3.5/5]
‘Doomsday Childsplay’: Opening with gorgeous violins and guitars that whirr in the background like the running of tip-toes, the main meat of the song is Rønnenfelt’s voice accompanied by an acoustic guitar. There is something so nostalgic about this one – it’s the kind of track you’d play as you walk home alone, reminiscing and reflecting. [4/5]
‘Close’: “Anybody not close to you is no friend of mine, I just wanna be close to you,” Rønnenfelt sings desperately, his words echoed by the feminine vocals of Fauzia. “Anybody not sweet with you is way out of line,” he continues. It is an intimate and sensual number that conveys intense desire. [4/5]
‘No One Else’: There is an essence of ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ by Lou Reed in the instrumentation of this song, although it evolves into something completely different, with Rønnenfelt delivering his poetry over rather cinematic guitars and gentle autoharp and mellotron. [3.5/5]
‘Stalker’: The singer tells a brutal story here, pulling his voice over gentle piano. “An obsession grew in his mind,” he sings, telling the tale of a grocery store worker who grows fixated on a pregnant woman and stalks her. By contrasting the violence of the story with a mellow sonic palette, the song harnesses a tragic yet unnerving atmosphere. [3/5]
‘Worm Grew A Spine’: In contrast to the previous song, this one takes a much faster pace, sounding the most like an Iceage song compared to the other tracks on the album. It’s a great track, bobbing along with a memorable bassline, while Rønnenfelt puts a woman on a pedestal, “Holier than thou she’s an empress,” he tells us. [4/5]
‘Soldier Song’: Mellowing back down again, the strings and double bass that accompany Rønnenfelt’s voice give the song a classic feel, echoing the sound of late 1960s Leonard Cohen. [4/5]
‘Unarmed’: There is a darkness to the guitars that open the song, yet again joined by cinematic strings that give the song a haunting sound. [3.5/5]
‘River of Madeleine’: Painting a vivid picture, Rønnenfelt sings, “Swaying in the men’s room/ Collected pieces of a thought/ Above urinal perfume.” While there are some nice lyrics here, the song is not the most memorable. [3/5]
‘Sound of Confusion’: Taking Spaceman 3’s 1990 song and putting his own spin on it, the musician allows the guitars to build up around him as he looks forward, “Well, here it comes/ Here comes the sound/ The sound of love.” [3.5/5]
‘No Place to Fall’: Rønnenfelt ends the album with a cover of Townes Van Zandt’s song from 1977, which feels fitting considering the overall retro-inspired tone of the album. There are some gorgeous lyrics here that feel fitting to close the record: “And if we help each other grow/ While the light of day/ Smiles down our way/ Then we can’t go wrong.” Life might have its complications, but love, in all of its forms, is what gets us through. [3.5/5]
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