Multi-talented musical virtuoso Sorren Lokke Juul, who performs under the moniker Indians, releases his first full-length studio album “Somewhere Else” Jan. 29, with all the bittersweet angelic melancholy of established indie artists like Bon Iver and Iron & Wine. Indians’ sound is difficult to pinpoint, but it’s a sweet amalgamation of indie folk with flavors of synth rock.
The nine-track record is a beautiful snapshot of Indians’ talent both as a musician and a vocalist. The Danish-born Juul embodies all the necessary elements for one aiming for musical greatness, what with his hauntingly captivating voice and ethereal music. NPR Music deems Indians to be perfect “headphone music.” And it’s true — Indians provides a heart-wrenchingly alluring performance from the beginning of his album to the very last notes of his ninth song.
“Somewhere Else” is a perfect score to one of those gray-skied, melancholic winter days because Indians doesn’t feel the need to shower his music with unnecessary pomp and circumstance. His music has a raw and mystical quality to it that brings it one step above elevator music and places it on a whole different dimension. The album is the sweetest lullaby; therefore, it’s difficult to simply listen to a few songs on the record. Indians’ freshman effort is a collective unit of work and must be listened to its entirety.
The opening track on the album, “New,” is the perfect introduction to the essence of Indians. Juul’s haunting vocals are the main focus of the track, but they’re carried through by a steady snapping rhythm. Midway through the track, Indians’ steady bass rhythm gets dropped and Juul’s “ooh-ing” vocals float around like the sweetest wind, similar to Matthew Bellamy’s — Muse’s lead singer — knack for wordless interludes in slower ballads. The vocals build into the last quarter of the track and into the return of the snapping rhythm, but it doesn’t crash through a crescendo like most songs do; it builds and becomes a steady sound, hypnotizing with its comforting lull.
The third song on the album, “I Am Haunted,” is another magnificent track which brings a welcome change of pace. The track’s guitar rhythm adds another mastered element on top of Indians’ greatly layered musical talent. The catchy rhythm and lyrics, intertwined with Juul’s brilliant vocals, gives the song a Bon Iver in “For Emma, Forever Ago” flair. It’s a beautiful mix of instrumentation, vocals and lyrics, and Indians proves he understands the power of crafting a great song. Although the track is more upbeat, the melancholic undertone found throughout Indians’ music is still present through his vocals.
“La Femme” highlights Indians’ unique vocals and layers them over a staccato, synth-clapping rhythm. The melding of the two different sounds creates a beautiful intermission-like track for the album. In any other scenario, the competing sounds would not work, but Indians showcases his song-crafting talent in making them compliment each other. Together, the vocals and rhythm create a dynamic track that leads perfectly into another great piece of musical artistry: “Melt.”
The track “Melt” is one of those eerily captivating tracks for which musicians like Bon Iver are known. Indians underscores his vocals by pairing them with a melancholic piano melody. The track is a beautiful, bittersweet masterpiece; every aspect of the track — the vocals, the rhythm, the lyrics — mix together to create a haunting track that forces the ear, in the most pleasant of ways, to listen from start to finish. The song is one of Indians’ best.
“Somewhere Else,” the final song on the album, is also the title track. The track is another melancholic song that begins with Indians’ remarkable vocals that lures in listeners with its lullaby-like quality. The song takes all of Indians’ skills and beautifully arranges them to showcase his talent. The song builds slowly into a synth rhythm that speeds up the pace of the song. It’s difficult not to tap a finger or toe along with the hypnotizing beat. The repetition of the “Somewhere Else” chorus adds to the hypnotizing nature of the song, but it’s such a beautiful track there’s no reason to mind being pulled in by the album’s final song.
The entire album is a work of art. Indians has found his niche and knows what works for him and what doesn’t — and the album attests to that. It’s an album that takes the very best pieces of the indie folk genre and gently sews them together into a beautifully quilted musical journey. Melancholic, haunting yet alluring, Indians’ “Somewhere Else” is an album everyone should thoroughly experience.
