Highly-touted Swedes Normandie go big but bloodless on disappointing third album…
Words: James Hickie
All albums are personal, whether as a signal flare from the psyche or an update on the evolving creative sensibilities of its authors. Some albums are more personal than others, though. Take Normandie’s Dark & Beautiful Secrets, for instance, which not only probes deeper than the Swedish trio’s first two albums, but proves that soul baring needn’t mean unbearable. Far from it, in fact, even if the words it offers aren’t nearly as impactful as their musical delivery system.
Hostage is a prime example. A song about anxiety, based on the experiences of singer Philip Shand, it besieges the listener with words and melodies. And while, admittedly, these experiences haven’t translated into the most astute observations ever penned on the subject, that’s more than mitigated by its soaring hooks, throbbing grooves and production slicker than a pot of otter’s hair�