Anders L.A. – ‘In Unison’

By Lucie.

The last time I reviewed Anders’ music, he was a child. Two years later, he’s still a child, but with an increasingly and impressively adult view on the world; you feel it in his music, and In Unison is the most grown-up melodic mission he’s ever been on.

I’m put in mind of another newish (but like Anders, having steadily worked on his craft for a fair few years now) young artist by the name of Streebeck – indeed, Anders’ debut album feels very similar to Streebeck’s Without a Baedeker, that delicate balance of songs on happiness and on loss, with the two themes occasionally merging.

Anders’ themes are more heartfelt than ever, his voice having settled in his tender years to suit the mood of this beautiful record and its nine poetic tracks. The rough edges of his previous EP’s have been smoothed and, such is the faith in this aural collection, it’s now available to buy on iTunes.

‘You Should Smile More’ was instantly my favourite track – I’m always swayed by the bounciest song first. The subject matter (the title says it all) is simple, yet something nobody else has written about before. This is Anders’ strength, discovering new themes (generally various branches of the feelings that come with love), surprising when love is the most well-worn musical subject of all; it’s astounding to find that somebody is finding new ways of exploring it.

I’m loving ‘Under The Sun’, ‘The Hard Goodbye’, and ‘You’re Always There’ too, songs that span emotion, as the entire record does. The album sounds effortless and clean yet deep and soul-searching, an odd and enticing mix that surely is the stuff that makes the best records. Anders rules, forevz.

www.myspace.com/andersla

Anders L.A.

by Lucie

A tribute to – Anders L.A.

Anders is a well known and equally loved figure in the world of Darklings, and no doubt in small sections of his native Denmark. A cheeky blonde, you can’t help but want to scoop him up and do motherly things to him. But on top of all his charm, there’s a ridiculous amount of talent bubbling away, that’s been generously ladled out to the public in the guise of two EP’s over the last couple of years. Box Full Of Letters and On A Rainy Day shine with sharp acoustic skills, deep glossy vocals, and heartfelt lyrics that belie Anders’ tender years. There’s something incredibly worldly-wise about his songs, though his wonderful innocent charm is maintained through it all, perhaps because the music is so raw and clean.
Box Full Of Letters, released in November 2006 for public download, was awaited in certain circles with great anticipation, and our reaction was that of wonder for someone many of us had known for several years and had little glimpse of his talent previous to this. The six track EP was a pure and emotional acoustic journey, spanning musical styles (reflecting Anders’ very eclectic tastes that range from folk-indie, to glam rock), with standout tracks like Search Of The Lion, a tribute to Sergio Leone, Anders’ favourite director, and mimicking the style of Leone’s Western films in musical form. On a very different end of the scale, I’ll Never Let Go Again is a poignant lost-and-found love song, with Anders’ vocals at their deepest and most ethereal. Anders is not averse to dabbling in tasty slices of blues-rock too, as proved by the much loved Longroad Blues, which doesn’t appear on either of his EP’s, but remained on his MySpace page for a long time, until it was released for download before Anders had to make room for his newer songs. It displays his talent with an electric guitar in fine form, sneakily proving that his abilities are broad, and this shouldn’t be forgotten.
Earlier this year (March 2007), Anders unleashed On A Rainy Day, an EP with all the candid loving sentiments as Box Full Of Letters, only slightly more developed, and even more admirable. The obvious star of the EP is the love song with a difference, You’re So Green, one that any of us who have ever had a (perhaps slightly unhealthy) adoration for an item of clothing will understand. The tune is unashamedly dedicated to Anders’ favourite green jumper, and the apparent seriousness of the sentiment within the music is just wonderfully witty and gloriously ironic. Give Me A Clue is a confused and angsty ballad in the guise of a much lighter acoustic tune, and Tonight Is My Night shines out as a cheery tribute to Anders himself, his friends and family, and his love for them.
All this has been recorded with the most basic equipment – labours of love – and a desire to prove himself as a great musician. Anders has gained much respect for his moving music, and plans another EP to grace us with in the future, which the sweetheart of a Dane says “will feature anthemic choruses, electric guitars, bass and drums”. Good times!

www.myspace.com/andersla