After two decades of churning out music at an unwavering pace, the uprising indie-act Rasmus Fynbo struck on a brilliant idea— instead of doing it all solo (as many others in the scene frequently do), why not bring a group of talented musicians together and compose a layered, distinctive album— and so he did. "Speck of Light," as he christened this LP, is an extensive and narrative adventure, devoted to various things in life. Each song has a story enhancing its context (analogous to being a piece in a grand puzzle); by the end, it stands as a multi-faceted oeuvre that ought to garner admiration due to the cumulative talents in tandem. Thus, we couldn't resist writing more about this project.
What do we know of Rasmus Fynbo? Perhaps best described on his Spotify bio, the Danish producer and singer-songwriter claims "There's something for almost everyone here." Scroll down a bit, and the reader will see several suggestions, based on mood and suggestions. Not the one to shy away from experimentation, Rasmus is thoroughly devoted to trying out idiosyncratic ideas irrespective of genres; although his domain generally seems to be between anywhere from Americana, and indie-folk to classic rock with a myriad of influences from other styles.
"Unfairytale," the titular song from this debut album (2007) is a quirky Western-themed song with varied instrumentals containing accordion and scratchy guitars. Fast forward to "Grease Monkey" from the album 'Unbelonging (Revisited),’ a folk and synth-pop fusion packed with tongue-in-cheek and playful performance. "How We End" (2021) proves his knack for offering a solemn and heartfelt performance, a melodic alt-rock tune with introspective vocals. In short, Rasmus' prior list of musical outputs is truly abundant in intricate and well-crafted records.
Although, our focus point for today is the newest "Speck of Light." After three years of radio silence, Rasmus synergized (while partaking in providing background vocals and production duties) with other musicians from across the globe— namely, Camila Castellani from Argentina, who's adeptly sung the lead vocals for nearly all the productions in the album. Each track has been ingrained with a unique fictional account, diverse and intriguing. Support has already been pouring consistently since its release date in January, as several songs were placed on Spotify editorial playlists ("New Music Denmark" and "Nordic Folk" amongst them) while cumulating over 125,000 streams in totality so far.
"A Summer Day in April" emulates a classic tale of love, as two characters fall into a romance in a tumultuous world where the climate's gone awry (as one of the verses describes "A summer day in August//The world is set ablaze//The reservoir is gone//Under the scathing sun"). The instrumental adheres to relaxing Latin folk arrangements, and Camila's performance is immediately alluring. The sophomore tune "Into the Woods" quickly turned into our favorite with the 90s singer-songwriter/folk-rock sound complete with airy acoustic guitars and graceful drums (occasionally accompanied by emotive strings). The singing is unfettered and soars, made even more endearing with the tuneful harmonies.
In "Departure," extraterrestrial anomalies become the topic; as per the narrative, one of the main characters has disappeared in a forest where UFOs have shown up. On the musical side, the vocals are curious, if not somewhat anxious about the said situation, upheld by upbeat and vibrant folk-rock instrumentation. For the seventh inclusion in the LP, "Le Lac" stands out with the French lyrics performed by Sarah Jouheri, whose mellow vocals spin a tale of water-fairy bewitching the aforementioned protagonist, ultimately leading to his demise from drowning. Morbid as this comes out to be, the instrumental is utterly soothing with soft strings and pianoforte (not to forget the dulcet performance). Serving as the denouement to the first story, "A Poisoned Meal" is yet another macabre tale where we find the said fairy still beguiling other young men to their deaths, after being bored of solitude; here, the twinkling guitar riffs nicely enrich Camila's vocals (layered carefully over Rasmus' performance).
Other songs of note are definitely "Sea of Time" and "Speck of Light," which curiously time-travel back a thousand years to explore the lore of "Grauballemanden" (a bog-preserved human fossil found in Denmark) and the severe conditions existent during the bronze age. Interestingly, the seemingly strange idea stemmed from the artist's former job of working in a museum; both these songs are devoted to the ancient figure, and the accompanying production is slow and suspenseful in the former, as the latter gets more feel-good with upbeat choruses.
Listen to "Speck of Light" on Spotify and stay tuned to Rasmus Fynbo and his upcoming music on Instagram.
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