LEVT – Lifande (Review)

Almost two years ago I reviewed Vodälse, a big surprise for my Post-Rock enthusiastic ear, even if I had some problems with some of my thinking of this kind of music. This album was the beginning of a planned three album long journey which represents the story of life and it gets affected by society and politics: Vodälse (Birth) – Lifande (Life) – Darroa (Tod). Now we can listen to the second album Lifande and I was, to be fair, very excited as I saw that I got the chance to hear it prior to its release.

Five songs, four of them longer than nine minutes, something that makes every Post-whatever fan heartbeat faster – only one song with nearly five minutes. The first song “Vio Äru Här” begins softly: a chill piano that explodes after a while like a blooming flower, what a start! After that, hard riffs that sound as if something positive takes place. The music lays itself around you like a soft skin. Each instrument is pleasantly arranged and builds up upon each other. This continues over the whole song that chooses a different path after some time here and there and lets you feel that these 10 minutes are over faster than you’d expect.

With “Pu Ingrodir Ossur Fortigare” LEVT gently dive into the song again with a tapping sound that subsequently increases and continues to do so until the first half of the song where LEVT showcase their full potential. From a “wait for it” to a great Post-Rock Song. The third, and shortest, song “Jeg Vil Eke Döyja” starts faster and has more speed overall compared to the two songs before. This song has the best riffs on the entire album, it’s more direct and harder and the drums are pushing the riffs pretty well. A little interlude is a welcomed break through a hell of a ride which is a positive variety on the whole album.

Song four “Diri Hatnu Ker Barins Ae Svera Meo Artek” is rougher, edgier and harder from an artistic point of view compared to the previous song. The guitars has a bigger presence in your ears, until its middle part it gets more gentle and other sound structures start to build up -just to go a much wilder at the end of the song. The last song “Og Sva Svyter Vio Meo Vindinen” has a soft start just like the first two songs, but dreamier, more soothing and exudes forms of optimism. Then it tightens once more to towards final part of the song and album – until literally a storm is coming up and distant music slowly approaches. I don’t want to name the music, this should be a little surprise for the readers of this review.

At my last review I wrote that LEVT could be one of the bands who might be able to surprise me in new ways of music and a path that they are able to go and evolve. Maybe it is not that fair to measure it in a three-album project. Can you review an album which is part of a three album-project when the last part is not yet released? I try. This album has a special positivity in it. Maybe I missed something, because I am not able to understand any kind of the Swedish language, but compared to the first album it has a smoother touch. The play of the instruments is great, the ideas behind some decisions concerning what we should listen is understandable and you can feel it. Sometimes, the whole album does not seem to fit together, better transitions from song to song would had made the album more like a whole, sometimes I was pulled out of the album too much.

But in the end, Lifande is a great Post-Rock album and a must-hear for every fan of the genre who likes a more artificial style of sound.

Favourite Tracks:
“Vio Äru Här”
“Jeg Vil Eke Döyja”

9 / 10