‘Öppet hav’ is the new EP from Fine Wind, Clear Morning, a Stockholm-based quintet. The band pulls inspiration from the softer sounds of shoegaze, the melodic sensibility of mid-00’s indie rock, as well as the somberness of their native Sweden.
I like that they don’t sing in English; sometimes it feels like English-speaking artists have swallowed up everything. I don’t speak Swedish, but I’ve always loved its intonation and sound. Plus, as a listener who focuses on the music rather than the lyrics, languages I don’t understand are perfect for me!
This is a diverse EP. The first track ‘Stormvarning’ reminds me of Brian Eno’s work, in a quite ambient and cinematic context, but definitely not that abstract at all. It is a nice intro to the EP, with evolving drones, synths, and textures.
And then we go straight to ‘Älven’, which surprises me with its folkiness. It is a song that could be in a Yes album, but the flute definitely adds some beautiful flavour to it. We are introduced to the vocals, which are mellow, soft, and expressive. The arpeggios make for an ethereal vibe, and the vocals are harmonised subtly, with great cymbal work and effected guitars on top adding a nice finishing touch.
In ‘Sirenen’, we definitely go deep into the dream rock, shoegaze sound of the band. Unlike many shoegaze bands, though, the effects are not more important than the parts and riffs, and I love that. A nice combination of prog rock, funky drum beats, and arpeggiating guitars, plus a good dose of indie rock electric style!
I am definitely going to explore their releases, and you should too!
Written by Spiros Maus
