Review: Kungens Män ‘För Samtida Djur 2’
When I usually want my fill of something relaxed and chilled to listen to, that has dreamy saxophones and hedonistic guitar notes, then my go to album tends to be something like Guru’s Jazzmatazz or anything by London based acid jazz wonders, Galliano, and I am fully emersed in their world.
But recently my mind has been altered and opened to new and exciting wonderments, with bands like Minima Deutsch and Pjin, and the release of För Samtida Djur 1 by Kungens Män, fell into this category when I reviewed it back in February. It was like opening a box of mystery and intrigue to see what lurked inside, and it was pretty, pretty good.
The Stockholm sextet are now back and they are ‘delighted and honoured to finally be bringing you the second chapter in the evolution of their legendary groovy, trippy and fiercely funky, free-form psychedelia’. För Samtida Djur 2 which translates to For Contemporary Animals, goes deeper into the mindsets of the members with their love for psych, doom and stoner rock. With four new songs to showcase, they go back to the classic Kungens Män template of long sprawling songs and invitations to inner/outer space.
First up to trick your brain into full relaxation mode is Dåderman Renoverar which has a splattering of strange noises to beckon you forward into their cosmic world, but then you drift off and it’s impossible to return. It’s a fifteen-plus minute journey into an immersive sonic exploration, with sumptuous saxophone licks and unexplainable sounds that are moulded together to create something of immense pleasure.
it’s captivating and draws you in from the moment you press play…
Whereas Part 1 displayed a less improvised side to the adventurous Swedes, Part 2 spreads like nebulas in imaginary landscapes. Väntar På Zonen is a song where you can picture yourself floating in a fishing boat on the crystal blue waters of lakes Storsjön or Vänern, being at one with nature. The beauty of these songs is that even though they are longer compositions, they appear to be over far too quickly, which to me is a sign of pure enjoyment.
Skör Lugg is a shade under twelve minutes, however, you can sense, feel and hear the thought processes in the music, where each member has carefully crafted their moment. My mind thinks this shouldn’t work when put together, but it’s captivating and draws you in from the moment you press play. The gentle drumming, in addition to the intricate guitar playing, adds more depth and you are once again lost in another world.
The final song, Gubbar Reser Sig, is shorter at just over eight and a half minutes and has a gorgeous little bassline at the start, well, I’m assuming it’s a bass as you never know with talented multi-instrumentalists these days, it could be anything that they’ve teased a new noise out of! Whatever the case, it’s still another entrancing song, that will bring much joy and merriment to all who listen, and when played back-to-back, both of these records showcase exactly what makes the band so beloved in their native Sweden and beyond.
Label: Majestic Mountain Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Matthew Williams
