Dungen

Skit I Allt (Subliminal Sounds)

By Erin Wolf
Published: September 21st, 2010 | 7:00pm

Playing off a nearly peerless ability to combine psychedelic, folk, jazz, and rock, Sweden’s Dungen appropriately carries their sixth album into being with the befitting name of Skit I Allt, which basically translates to Fuck It. Indeed. Dungen is a band that confidently visits the pastoral realms of Nick Drake, the tripped-out smoke of rockers Dead Meadow, and brushes of smoothly played-out jazz with plenty of piano and hi-hat manipulations, paying no heed to preconceived musical notions of how a rock band should sound. Their previous release, 4, was even more jazz-prone than their current collection of songs, yet Skit I Allt retains just enough of these elements as not to alienate those following the quartet’s maturing transitions closely. Plenty of moments—such as “Brallor” and “Högdalstoppen”—break out the fuzz pedal, kick drum, and crash cymbals that will resume musical familiarity for those who dug Ta Det Lugnt’s “Panda” and Tio Bitar’s “Gör det nu.”

Originally initiated by singer and arranger Gustav Ejstes, the Stockholm band now includes guitarist Reine Fiske, bassist Mattias Gustavsson, and drummer Johan Holmegard, who bring Ejstes’ freeform visions to life, painting vivid colors with intricate percussion and bright instrumentation that remains true to their purpose, whether bashing about or soothing. Skit I Allt moves in such a way that doesn’t allow for sleepiness. The title track falls smack in the middle in terms of sound and placement on the album and is the most befitting statement of where Dungen currently stands as musicians: confident with multi-instrumentalism, plenty of nostalgia for ‘60s/’70s folk rock, and a professional penchant for dynamics that recall jazz composition with their precision and care.

Skit I Allt is an engaging listen, and a good show of a band that’s comfortable with what makes them tick musically, even though these things might be disparate and far-reaching. Dungen has always demonstrated a quiet confidence, but with this genuinely evened out follow-up from the more improvisational 4, they impress above and beyond with a broader return to folk, psych rock, and even pop. It is the rare band that hits album six and manages to pull it off with the same energy as a first album and the same finesse as their later work. Skit I Allt is a sign of good things to come.

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