Milieu Plus

They Say...

Review by François Couture, All Music Guide

Tape's second album is shorter, more song-oriented, and overall easier to approach, but these qualities -- without turning to shortcomings -- don't necessarily make a better album. Still stemming from a certain experimental sound research (especially in the eclecticism of the instrumentation and the way the group mixes together odd parts), the music is surprisingly gentle and welcoming. The psychedelic/folk current that had been woven through Opera now takes the foreground: delicate acoustic guitar, harmonium, and accordion dominate the sound palette. Electronics and sampling take a step back, working in the shadows to cement the eight instrumental tunes together. Milieu is Björn Olsson as seen through Gastr del Sol's lens -- or Pascal Comelade influenced by the Nordic winds instead of the Spanish sun. Peaceful, slightly melancholic, impressionistic without sounding tentative, Milieu delivers a very coherent half-hour of music. Melodies are sketched rather than stated; each track sounds like it could have been more extensively developed, but doing so would strip away its mystery. Highlights include the heartwarming "Root Tattoo" (with accordion, melodica, and glockenspiel sharing the lead) and the wonderful "Golden Twig" (featuring Staffan Johansson on lap steel). This is the kind of album you could very well dismiss on first listen as lacking substance or being just another byproduct of the American alternative folk revival. But further listens reveal its unique charm -- it also has something to do with the beauty of the pastoral tunes of Sagor & Swing, another group recording for the Häpna label. Recommended despite its brevity. [Häpna's 2008 edition included bonus material.]