MP3: Villebråd - Ingenting
I know very little about Villebråd outside of the basic info supplied in their bio. Their new album showed up totally unexpected in a stack of CDs from Swedish psych/prog label Transubstans Records. I still have to go back and listen to the rest of the discs with more attention to detail, but Villebråd immediately stood out from the rest. The sound is firmly rooted in classic prog ala King Crimson or say fellow Swedes Anekdoten, but there's also a very strong melodic pop sensibility ala Japan/David Sylvian or maybe even The Gathering and early Soundtrack of Our Lives. Enough atmosphere to be called space-rock, but they never go overboard - the songs on the album "Alla är här uton jag" all clock in at a merciful 5:10 or less. That's some serious self-restraint for a band who willfully labels themselves as 'prog'. Like I said, they've got pop sensibilities. Despite the odd syncopation, the main verse riff of the song I've posted today is quite catchy. I especially love the siren whistle in the buildup, nicely balanced by hard-panned, alternating guitar stabs before opening up into the chorus. There's tons more surprises like that all over the record. If you can get into TSOOL's less straightforward, more adventurous material then Villebråd is for you.
Villebråd - Ingenting