Peter von Poehl May Day (Bella Union)
2/5
By: Liane Escorza
May Day is the second album by Peter von Poehl, Swedish of origin but based in France musically. His compositions are pop, folk and acoustic-based, occasionally sprinkled with piano, bells, strings, flute and brass arrangements.
His collaborations with other artists have followed this same line of pleasant and gentle strokes, but it’s clear from early on that this LP is more of a self-indulgent one, composed to one’s self, rather than a work thought for the entertainment of others.
I find it difficult to believe there’s an audience for an album of songs written solely in this same, chilled out manner. I mean, where is the fire? Where is the build-up? Where is the twisting of the heart and the narrowing of the breathing? No, there is definitely too much blandness, twee-ness, marshmallow cruises on mellow waters that never seem to reach land far beyond the horizon.
Experience tells me this is the type of album Nordic enthusiasts will enjoy (chilled out acoustica and death metal – gotta love Scandinavians), but I wonder whether too much drifting away like this might drive us mad… way before we reach May Day.
Artists in this article: Peter Von Poehl
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