WL//WH Review BLEKA DÖDENS MINUT
Artwork by @luc4dollars
Pulling its name from Rob Reiner’s and William Goldman’s 1987 movie “The Princess Bride”, whose debut self-titled EP’s conceptual narrative is inspired by, the Stockholm/Umeå based five piece Bleka Dödens Minut is a new jangle rock collective featuring notable members from relatable Swedish underground outfits such as PoPo, Bleak Streak, Sekunderna, and Nära Döden.
With a penchant for sharp-edged jangly guitar tones and infectious sun-drenched yet angsty melodies, the five-piece churns out straightforward and compelling moody power pop songs rife with bracing earnest energy, as fresh and inspired as few others, combining captivating songwriting and striking arrangements with fluidity and ease.
The EP starts headlong with the hook-laden mortal heartbreak of its title track, which spills a loud avalanche of crashing, pummeling drums, a rousing weave of ringing, at times jagged, rumbling riffs and sad, anxious vocals, swerving angrily and screaming into a heartfelt rush of tension and release.
Sneaky bass pulses and an incessant, tight stomping beat spark off the shimmering, brass-speckled “R.A.O.S,” with fearful, anxious vocals layered with hopeless backing cries to represent challenging oversized fears; while in the same Jangle-Pop fashion, “Mitt namn är Inigo Montoya” sways imbued with chimey and brassy stirring emotional depth, meandering through spiraling crystalline guitars around synced aloof, melancholic male/female vocals, backed with a dramatic falling chorus, expressing a life-long quest for revenge.
The closing “Bleka Dödens Repris” surprisingly ends with an introspective, nostalgic instrumental vein in search of hope, provoked by the vibrant yet gloomy melodies of tinkly piano notes, sparkling strings and subtle warm trumpet intricacies, to elicit a bittersweet feeling of disappointment, laced with ideas that next time things might be different.
In barely eight minutes, the Swedish duo delivers a genuine, humorous, crunchy, contagious, electrifying guitar pop mood that feels like everything you need to beat the summer heat, while yearning for more.
Bleka Dödens Minut‘s debut s/t EP is out now on limited edition Tape (plus Zine) via the band’s Bandcamp and Umeå label/distro doyoudreamofnoise.Keep with Bleka Dödens Minut:
