First Impressions: Dungen, “Skit I Allt”

Dungen
Skit I Allt
Mexican Summer
Release Date: September 14

Track Listing:

1. Vara Snabb
2. Min Enda Vän
3. Brallor
4. Soda
5. Högdalstoppen
6. Skit I Allt
7. Barnen Undrar
8. Blandband
9. Nästa Sommar
10. Marken Låg Stilla

First Impressions:

-Skit I Allt is Swedish psychedelic band Dungen’s latest release and sixth studio album, due out September 14 on Mexican Summer in the U.S. and on Subliminal Sounds everywhere else. Skit I Allt follows the group’s previous album, 4, released in 2008, which brought about a successful American tour that included a handful of shows with Fleet Foxes.

-In case you were wondering and haven’t yet learned how to speak Swedish, the album’s title literally translates to “Fuck All.”

-Skit I Allt is full of the band’s signature psychedelic sound that also mixes jazz tunes and traditional Swedish folk rock. The blend of all these different genres along with a plethora of instruments including the bass, piano, flute, drums and strings create something beautiful, light, original and extremely refreshing. Throw in soft vocals in Swedish and this album’s got everything you need to relax both your mind and your body – perfect for listening to on a warm, breezy late summer day spent at home with the windows and doors open or relaxing on the back porch sipping lemonade.

-This album appears to be a little less “psychedelic” than 4 and instead focuses more on the jazzy/folk side; however, the occasional experimental guitar trip is still found on the new release, just not quite as heavy and definitely not as prominent.

-The album’s first track is purely instrumental, providing listeners with a small taste of what to expect on the album without any distractions from lyrics or vocals.

-“Blandband” sounds like a blend between the Peanuts piano-driven theme song and traditional Native American music.

Key Tracks:

“Brallor,” “Nästa Sommar,” and "Min Enda Vän"

Predictions:

Dungen has already begun making its mark as a world-wide phenomenon and this album will only help further the band’s success. Dungen is scheduled to play at the ATP New York 2010 Music Festival in September and will continue to tour the U.S. through September and October on the band's largest North American tour yet, bringing its little piece of Sweden to the states and Canada.