Nelson Can
So Long Desire
Danish trio Nelson Can mix alternative rock, quirky pop and glacial electronic music to make atmospheric music that will engulf your spirit and heart. This encapsulation of musical vibes is at the forefront of their new album So Long Desire (the follow up to Now Is Your Time To Deliver) where the band combine those vibes with influences on their music like PJ Harvey, Bikini Kill and Nick Cave to create a series of songs that are both searing and soaring.
From opening track Ambitious right through to the closing salvo of Yeah, I Didn’t Think So, the record is a rollercoaster ride of catchiness, harmony and overall, emotion and it’s many forms.
So Long Desire is nine songs (and an interlude) in only twenty-five minutes so it is short but sweet affair but packs in so much in that time that it feels like an epic listen in the best possible way.
The album fluctuates between hopeful and longing anthems all executed in a powerful fashion, the former camp include the King Lear inspired alternative rock stomp of Madness and the bass led disco-indebted pop brilliance of I Wanna Be With You while the latter contains the wistful I Used To Sleep Through Everything and the thoughtful So Long Desire, I’m Getting Over You and this juxtaposition sums the album up perfectly. This is an album about letting go of the past and at the same time, looking to the future and how hard it is to let go but how vital it is to do just that.
With So Long Desire, Nelson Can have made a brilliant statement of intent, an album that tells it like it feels, even if that can be difficult it times, it is needed is certainly the message here.
Nelson Can have released a defining album, showcasing the calibre of their music. Upon the release, a bittersweet message from the band- the new album marks the end of an era for the band as they say their goodbye’s as an outfit with this triumphant record.
NELSON CAN second album So Long Desire released 31st January 2020, out now via Alcopop Records
Words: Gavin Brown
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