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Amandine
Solace In Sore Hands
Fatcat Records


The title of the record metaphorically says it all. The sophomore LP effort by Swedish quartet Amandine is a collection of tracks that seem made to comfort the troubled spirit of a much strained soul. And while this description seems quite melodramatic, once you listen to Solace In Sore Hands, it will seem fitting. Each track is drenched in acoustic sorrow and feature vocals that are more or less cried out but by a weak and quiet singer.

Fittingly, the mellow nature of the album fits Amandine's musical style that seems to want to imitate classic American folk music. And they succeed in that respect. Each track features the standard acoustic guitar, light percussion and storytelling lyrics that lawn concerts and vinyl records are known to be home to, but in regards to originality, the album suffers a great deal. While Amandine has done a decent job of copying American folk, they have also created an album that just lacks excitement. Going too far with the acoustic guitar, the album lacks any real punch, and while none of the songs are terrible (or even mediocre), none of them are that interesting either.

This sounds like a collection of closers. You all know what I mean. About 75% of all the albums ever made end with that one particularly soft and introspectively thoughtful track that concludes the album, leaving the listener to ponder the deeper meaning of the record. It's those kinds of songs that Solace In Sore Hands sounds completely composed of. Once again, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The album does have some modest high points, like the mellow ragtime that spices up "Our Nameless Will", and the impressively metaphoric lyrics of "Iron Wings", but these just don't add the excitement that the record needs. I'm no expert on folk music, but after listening to Solace In Sore Hands, I can't help but still be hungry. Amandine strike a nice chord in "Shadow and Grief" when they bring out a violin and on "Standing In Line" which boasts the much appreciated rustic playing of a harmonica, and I wish that they only expanded on their usage of these instruments throughout the rest of the album.

Most of the songs sound only half-finished and it's a shame, because with a little work and some more variety, Solace In Sore Hands might have been a not just good album, but possibly a great one. If they can get passed the overtly heavy-handiness of the material and try to beef up the much too sickly vocals, then Amandine might actually be able to embody the classical folk they are trying oh so hard to copy here.

-Josh Page


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