Lis er Stille - The construction of the amp train
(Brutal But Sentimental)

Sometimes you admire an album more than you actually enjoy listening to it. I guess that was the case for me with Denmark's Lis er Stille, a four-piece that favors the "surging rush of sound" approach. There are only four tracks here, all roughly about ten minutes in length, and if you've heard one, you've pretty much heard the album. They really like their pounding drums, their whirling keyboard/guitar blend, and their slightly retro organ riding atop the vigorous waves of sound. The songs generally begin with a quiet intro, with the vocalist sounding not unlike Ola from The White Birch (and at times he reminded me of Grandaddy, as did one of the keyboard sequences on track 2). Then things build in intensity, with simple guitar chords repeated insistently, possibly shifting into a different tempo or mood, then getting intense again. Track 4 holds the most interest, as there are compelling shifts from minor key to major key and a better dynamic balance overall. On a really great stereo, I imagine that this album would sound pretty kickass, especially if you just played it for a few minutes. But as an overall listening experience, it just didn't maintain my interest over several plays, although I would hardly count the band out. With the singer coming more to the fore and some added diversity in the arrangements, a future Lis er Stille album could be very promising indeed.
- Kevin Renick