Each time I get a package from Sweden I get excited. I've yet to receive a CD from a Swedish artist that I didn't think was wonderful. "Urania" by Lupus Nensen & the Congregation is no exception.
Nensen eschews the rambunctious waltzes that his countrymen have sent me. Lupus has followed a path that has lead him to the quite side of folk/americana to a place that is both mellow and strange. The arrangements are perfectly spare and minimal. The overall effect is both seductive and sinister. A strummed guitar coupled with the occasional violin and drums perfectly matches Lupus' voice.
Nensen's not exactly singing, more reciting/evoking. The closest reference point is Nick Cave's "talking blues" style of vocalization, but Nensen is quiter, more humble. He's closer to the timbre Leonard Cohen than the vocal assault of Mr Cave but infused with a Swans like morbidity. (When a female voice occasionally joins in to duet on some of the songs it's the perfect accent to Lupus).
But it's the marriage of these minimalist elements (both musical and vocal) that make this a great listen. Some marriages are doomed from the start, the two sides incompatible on a basic level. Not so here: Lupus Nensen's aesthetic works well for both haves of the equation, and when added together the two become greater than their individual selves.
I loved this CD, every time I put it on I found myself charmed anew.
