In a lot of ways, Trilogi picks up right where Fredrik’s debut, Na Na Ni, ended. Fredrik Hultin's smoothly volatile voice and earnest northern european folk compositions sit indistinguishably on top of Lindefelt's brushed, shadowy rhythms and trademark electronica-before-electricity washes of sound. However, in addition to the nylon-string guitars, the humming, the howling, the music boxes and the assortment of bells we've come to expect from the Fredrik sound, the duo also brings in more horns and strings as well as substantial noise and drone elements into the music. Combined with a more even pacing - across three distinct episodes of the record - Trilogi offers more in terms of contrast and coloration and a decidedly darker, almost "rural noir" tone.
This time around, the song titles are in swedish, featuring strange unforgettables like Vinterbarn (winter child), Den Sista Fabriken (the last factory) and Vanmyren (the "un-mire") to name a few. The lyrics, however all in english, strike a similar balance of obscurity and allure.
Overall, Trilogi is a challenging but soothing follow-up and a beautifully hushed, ethereal testament of progressive rock so disconcerned with contemporary hypes and trends it's impossible not to think of words like "original" and "timeless", as much as one would strive to.
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