Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation - Sacred Dreams

The frivolous pomp of glam single ‘Desire’ hinted at tremors unravelling Josefin Ohrn’s neo-psychedelic sound and exposing a sexier, more provocative musical template. Sacred Dreams is more immediately accessible than previous albums, but maddeningly, it is divided in half by sublime tracks and the dreary vanilla languor of its other half. It’s an odd album, characteristically brilliant in parts, dull in others. Aside from ‘Desire’ is the delicious swagger of ‘Baby Come On’ with characteristic dark tones underpinning the disco-ready swank, like Goldfrapp, Black Cherry era. ‘Caramel Head’ threatens to meander too far with its druggy listlessness, but keeps itself on the right side of the ledger with pretty illusions and an organ drone which leads effortlessly into a 60s folk reverie. Really lovely repetition.

‘Hey Little Boy’ is a superb track modelled partly on innocent 60s pop and early shoegaze, delicate but wholesome, fleshed out of its charming simplicity by some really fuzzy guitar action, bubbling under the surface and then opening out like The Bunnymen did when their songs were allowed to breathe. Absolutely exquisite instrumentation. ‘Let it Come’ is a delightfully whimsical pop song with twangy reverb and a creepy middle section of vocal ticks and echo. Really lovely stuff.

Tracks ‘New Horizons’ and ‘Floating Away’ then seem so disappointing, wafting through the room like a stale joss-stick. Cheap reminiscences of stoner oblivion. The filler that threatens to smother the killer, but ultimately can’t because the album survives by its strengths.

The record was produced by Andy Ramsay of Stereolab and includes a raft of musicians like The Go Team, and bassist, Ben Ellis who has worked with Swervedriver.