Snøskred - Empty House

Empty House, the new album from Norway’s Snøksred is a mellow, rainy-day recording. Put this on, let the gentle strumming of the guitars, the singer’s comfortable voice, and the curious oddball lyrics lull you into a stoned bliss.

A great example is 'Mirage', a song that teases your ears with a trilling single-string riff snuck into the proceedings, just within grasp but never intrusive. That’s the thing about this album; it feels like the music you never remember, but that plays in everyone’s dreams… and maybe a few nightmares, as well.

Breaking up the buzz but keeping the funny, David Byrne-ish lyrical vibe (“Stock up on cans from the market, fill up the shelves in the shelter, working like ants, going to make it, it’s the end of the world as we know it”), “Precision” is an amusing, paranoid, and cool upbeat song.

The crunchy “Lexington Hotel” is a fair representation of the band, albeit with the guitars fuzzed up instead of the straight warmth of the acoustics that dominate the remainder of the album, yet it still maintains the feel of things; the intelligent and thoughtful lyrics and the light, jangly touch. “Homeless” closes out the album and it’s a lovely, reflective, yet bleak song. It’s beautiful song writing and brings things to a bittersweet end.  

The potential downside for all the mellow melancholy is that it goes on for the better part of the album. If that’s you thing and you want to unwind after a tough day or slide easily into slumber, this could be the tonic. For operating heavy machinery, however, you might want to avoid it.