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Ta Det Lugnt

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Dungen

 
Ta Det Lugnt
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The best album of the year — if 2004 were 1971

  • We Say...

    Review by Michaelangelo Matos

    The first time I played this 2004 album I thought it one of the best albums of the year. The catch being that, to my mind, the year was 1971. That's how Ta det Lugnt (translation: "Take it easy") sounds, pure and simple: the rhythm section is locked in and unashamedly rockin', the guitars distorted and layered and crunchy and soaring, the singing passionate and frequently soaked in reverb. The whole thing sounded so analog-perfect that it was hard to hear it as something other than a reissue of a lost classic. The fact that Dungen are Swedish doesn't hurt that impression, since so few foreign albums of this vintage made it to American (or British) ears in their time.

    The effect becomes even more impressive when you realize that for their second album, Dungen weren't a group in the studio, but one guy, Gustav Ejstes, singing, writing, playing and masterminding nearly the entire thing. (He'd previously recorded with a full band, and has again since; members of his touring group make appearances on the album as well.) And not knowing a word the guy is saying won't stop you from wanting to shout along to his effortless hooks. "Panda," the opening track, features about a half-dozen by itself: splashy drum intro, 3D wah-wah guitar on the verses, bass rutting in the rain on the refrain, not to mention Ejstes overdubbing himself into an urgent harmony group. "Ta det Lugnt" itself snarls beguilingly as Ejstes grinds out a heavy stoner groove, while "Det du tanker idag ar du i morgon" is a lovely piano-led instrumental that evokes Vince Guaraldi: air freshener for a room dense with the smell of superb weed, liberally applied.

  • They Say...

    Review by Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide

    Psychedelic rock has seen a number of revivals since its heyday in the late '60s. Often times, these bands sound like they're simply aping the influences they wear so prominently on their sleeves. Dungen, on the other hand, sound like they've somehow been directly transported from 1968 to the present. Maybe it's their vintage equipment, or maybe it's the fact that most listeners probably haven't heard much Swedish-language psychedelia for comparison, but this doesn't have the second- or third-generation rehashed flavor that so many modern psychsters can't avoid. There's a pungent aroma of, um, authenticity here that other bands haven't been able to match, from the wicked fuzz guitar to the organ and flute workouts. There are some great psych-pop moments throughout, and these melodies are likely to stick in your head even if Swedish isn't your language, but there are also detours into some pretty serious hard-psych territory as well as flute-led hippie free jazz and even some Swedish folk flavors (like the intro to "Du E För Fin För Mig"). There is little studio trickery beyond some simple tape echo, but the acid-colored vibes come through loud and clear. Gustav Ejstes (the one-man band behind Dungen) has an incredible knack for a great tune, an ear for production, and then the ability to perform all the parts and still sound like a band. Guitar ringer Reine Fiske has one of the gnarliest fuzz tones ever heard and contributes excellent raw lead guitar all over, particularly on the title cut and "Gjort Bort Sig" or when the acoustic guitar, fiddle, and Mellotron of "Du E För Fin För Mig" suddenly switch to a blistering electric coda. Ta Det Lugnt clearly evokes another time and headspace, but there's an underlying passion that keeps it sounding fresh (much like when the Bevis Frond appeared in the late '80s). Put on your ear-goggles and head back to the late '60s.

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