Copenhagen native Søren Løkke Juul, the sole man behind Indians, has quickly brought on a comparison with Bon Iver’s songwriting along with the customary links between sad music and a gloomy winter.
Both are completely understandable. For one, Indians’ debut album, Somewhere Else, has the soft and subtle complexity with the type of sorrow that does evoke a similar feeling to that of Justin Vernon’s sophomore LP.
Then of course the despairing lyrics along with the sparseness of his music allows for a dark combination that a cold Danish winter is synonymous with.
But Indians has managed to develop a unique sound on a record that contains an impressive level of consistency for a debut.
Juul’s delicate vocals sound like a higher take on that of Blaine Harrison from British outfit Mystery Jets.
While ‘Lips Lips Lips’ makes use of ambient synths, ‘I Am Haunted’ is on the more conventional end of the spectrum thanks to the use of an acoustic guitar.
But the talent that Juul possesses is in creating music that is seemingly complex even when it comes from the most basic of elements.
Yet the evocative intricacies glide through each song with little concern shown for the attention span of the listener.
It’s likely that many won’t make it past more than a few spins of Somewhere Else, with the record rewarding only those who have patience.
That will be the LP’s biggest drawback for many. It fails to make a definitive statement over ten songs.
But then again, maybe it doesn’t intend to. Somewhere Else drifts in no man’s land, with only the most dedicated of listeners able to fully appreciate the beauty that Indians hints at early on.
