The Lake Acts Like An Ocean - Thomas Denver Jonsson Album Review
Thomas Denver Jonsson
Album Review
Finding a Swede doing Americana is a rare thing indeed.
Thomas Denver Jonsson releases his third album on the heels of 2005s Barely Touching It. Released last year in Sweden, it now gets an international release in the UK, Norway, and the Benelux region, then France in April. Written over a two year period, Jonsson continues his country foray, but this time with a more indie-folk template than previously. On board are 12 musicians who add their finely honed skills. This is a step up on Barely Touching It, even if the songs have a bluer tint. The quality of songs is exceptional. The Lake..has some real intimacy rather than universal appeal. It's as if he's intended to do a one-to-one performance on disc, and no doubt these songs will be at their best at a small gig, giving them a new lease of life. This intimacy is most acute on the stripped-back sound of Like Friends Falling In Love while Jonsson lazily strums his acoustic guitar, a true Americana feel. Only For Beginners is tenderness personified. Piano and strings work in tandem gently layering this most magnificent of ballads. One might gather, from the melancholic strings of opener The Border, we're in for a sombre experience. Nothing of the sort. For me Jonsson's work is better at the (slightly) commercial edge like the gorgeous Neil Young-ish One Of My Blessings were the pedal steel tenderly drips all over the quiet country shuffle making it one of the major highlights, and his singing is at its sweetest.
Another contender for beauty is the fragile musings of Possession where he masterfully duets with songbird Elina Johansson. You Were The Holiday is back into Young territory, especially the vocal sound-alike. On After The Earthquake, Jonsson truly captures the spirit of Americana. The pedal steel adds magnificent melancholic touches that layer over his heartfelt lyrics.
There are few weak spots : What I Dream is one of them. His vocal sounds uncertain throughout, plus I'm a bit uncertain about the inclusion of two instrumentals - The Tapdancers Union and Sacha Distel, which seem to serve little purpose.
Other than those minor blips, given enough rotation, you'll realise this is a real grower. The more I hear it, the more I find - and that's usually a good sign.
File under: Understated gem.
