Indian Summer by Landberk

This beautiful "Indian Summer" by Landberk, their last album from 1996, after which the band sadly disbanded, is a real treat.

This Swedish band is capable of a very "dark" progressive rock sound, dark and melancholic, with beautiful Mellotron and guitar parts, more so in their slow and powerful songs than in their more lively ones.

The lineup includes Nils Reine Fiske, who also guested on two Motorpsycho albums and offers beautiful guitar solos on the album.

Here are my impressions of the tracks:

- "Humanize," a slow and very effective song, with a dark sound but not excessively so, and a beautiful guitar riff that accompanies the entire song.

- "All Around Me" starts with a beautiful drumbeat, beautiful intensity in the voice, at times distorted, as is the guitar in the background, until it becomes more decisive and imposing, with a deep bass. A truly beautiful piece with its almost ambient interludes, where light drums accompany a melancholic guitar solo. The atmosphere is beautiful as the keyboards close out the song.

- "1st Of May" begins with a classic rock sound, the most upbeat and catchy piece on the album. The vocals and guitar are also beautiful, and the song's structure is beautiful. A beautiful piece of exquisite pop-rock.

- "I Wish I Had A Boat" closes side A with its slow tempo and sparse rhythm section, creating a foundation upon which the keyboards lay down a carpet of long sounds, and the acoustic guitar provides beautiful riffs that enrich the song.

- "Dustgod" opens side B, beginning with a rhythmic and engaging song, but without losing that suspended atmosphere in which all the instruments are balanced and the melody prevails. The vocals are still very beautiful, occasionally resorting to doublets, which are appropriate in this case but very pop-oriented. The lyrics in this song are particularly beautiful. In my opinion.

- Dreamdance starts again with a fast pace, the album's sunniest track, reminiscent of an '80s summer hit but still with a calm atmosphere. Sunny doesn't mean cheerful, and it certainly doesn't mean banal. Even here, however, you can sense in the second half of the song the intention to give substance and substance even to a song that might seem lighter. Beautiful emotions, like a strange, unexpected happiness. The song ends beautifully.

- Why Do I Still Sleep takes us back to the most intense world this band can express, in my opinion. That of dreams, of long, deep sounds, of flying over things, seen from above and with a deliberate detachment, in slow motion, at a safe distance, while everything moves, we see it and it doesn't affect us. A world I enjoy being in. Fantastic piece.

- Indian Summer stays in that world, a piece dominated by a splendid guitar riff played at varying levels of intensity and accompanied by light, melancholic vocals, also at varying levels of intensity. The same concept is repeated several times, between pauses of silence. Beautiful.

An album with two sides: the "lighter" songs, still very well played and with excellent arrangements, and the side expressing a beautiful, melancholic prog that peaks in the songs "All Around Me," "Why Do I Still Sleep?" and the title track. It's a real shame it was their last album. This reissue also includes a booklet with beautiful photos and the band's history. An album that could perhaps have started a new era; some songs could have appealed to a less "niche" audience, and it highlights the great guitarist Reine Fiske, with her excellent technique and taste in her interpretations.

Recommended for lovers of progressive rock, high-quality pop-rock, with its Scandinavian vibe, and more...

Tracklist

1. Humanize (6:07)
2. All Around Me (9:03)
3. 1st Of May (3:34)
4. I Wish I Had A Boat (5:41)
5. Dustgod (5:04)
6. Dreamdance (4:49)
7. Why Do I Still Sleep (7:55)
8. Indian Summer (5:12)
Running Time: 46:05

Lineup

- Patric Helje - vocals
- Reine Fiske - guitar
- Simon Nordberg - keyboards, producer
- Stefan Dimle - bass
- Jonas Lidholm - drums
Featuring:
- Sara Isaksson - vocals (7)
- Lotta Johansson - musical saw (1)
- Sebastian Öberg - cello (4)