published: 10 /
4 /
2013
Review
That there is currently no English language Wikipedia page for Jacob Bellens is surely one of the modern age’s greatest injustices. Since starting out as a songwriter at the tender age of 13, Bellens has emerged as one of the few Danish singer-songwriters to have any presence out-with his native country. His career has seen him involved with various Danish groups, including Murder, Livs Trompet and I Got You On Tape. Despite a recording career spanning nearly a decade, 'The Daisy Age' is his debut solo release.
From the opening, haunting strains of 'Heart of Africa', it is clear that one is listening to something a little bit special. Reminiscent of Antony and the Johnsons, and channelling more than a modicum of Scott Walker, Bellens’ brooding baritone sends shivers down the spine. The instrumentation is somehow lush yet sparse, melancholic and yet triumphant. As opening tracks go, this is a cracker.
'Comedy Club', the album’s second track, sounds like something from the Doors’ 'Strange Days', all atmospheric keyboards, thumping bass and arpeggio guitars. It’s a reflective piece by anyone’s standards, but, by virtue of its comparison to the opening track, it seems oddly jaunty, albeit in a Tom Waits meets Bertolt Brecht kind of way. It’s a song of late night drinks in smoky bars, and Bellens’ vocal delivery, particularly his phrasing, is superb.
My favourite track on the album is 'Only for the Lonely'. Its keyboard sounds like Lennon at his claw-fisted finest, and it even boasts a 'Woman is the N*gger of the World' style brass solo. It’s a catchy piece albeit thematically linked with the remainder of the album, name-checking the lonely and the deranged among its cast of characters.
The Lennon/Beatles’ influence extends to the title of 'Eight Arms to Hold You' (the aborted title of what became Help!). Another outstanding track, it sounds like a collaboration between Leonard Cohen and Vic Chesnutt. The instrumentation is, once again, faultless – never too prominent, never too lacklustre to simply blend into the background.
The album closes with 'Eye of the Needle', an exercise in restraint, its backing track sounding like the better moments from 'Automatic for the People' or perhaps 'Ghost of Tom Joad'-era Springsteen. It’s a wonderfully fitting end to the album – unshowy, but excellent nonetheless.
I’m the first to admit that my knowledge of Danish music is limited - it pretty much began and ended with Whigfield, if I’m honest – but if Jacob Bellens is indicative of the scene at large, then it is one that I shall be taking a much more active interest in from now on. This is a superb album, its melancholy perfectly tempered with humour and playfulness. Musically, it is an absolute delight and Bellens’ vocals are simply fantastic. Definitely one to put back on the top of the pile.
Track Listing:-
1
Heart of Africa
2
Comedy Club
3
Advise You to Remember
4
Only for the Lonely
5
Jamboree
6
Daily Operation
7
Champion Sounds
8
Eight Arms to Hold You
9
Around the the World
10
Bubbles of Hysteria
11
Tricks of the Trade
12
End of the Needle
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/jacobbellens
https://www.songkick.com/artists/62653
http://www.jacobbellens.com/
https://twitter.com/jacobbellens
https://www.instagram.com/jacobbellens
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz8Ja
Label Links:-
http://wslsrecords.com/