Nicolai Dunger - Rosten & Herren Album Review

Nicolai Dunger
Rösten & Herren
Album Review

Nicolai Dunger is one Swede who saw (moderate) international success singing in English. And then decided to start releasing records in his own language. Dunger's Soul Rush would be the best album Van Morrison had made in the past 30 years - his voice soars and growls when necessary, and the melodies and rolling feel are wonderful. That was followed by the more-successful Tranquil Isolation, before Dunger started following his own path, worrying less about selling records (and clearly even less about selling records internationally).

So, is a record by a singer-songwriter sung entirely in Swedish something that holds anything for a UK audience? The short answer is 'absolutely'. The album flies by, with Dunger's voice soaring between chant and aching soul - when you don't understand the words, the sound becomes all, and his voice can convey so much. The instrumentation is sparse and elegant - some of the songs here delight in their simple idea, their cohesion. You have to admire a man who can ignore the market demands to sing (wonderfully) in his native language, and Rösten & Herren is one of his best albums yet.

4/5

Mike Rea