Sitting, staring, waiting for the first tones of the song “The Sin Is Near” of the new record of Barði Jóhannsson alias Bang Gang, who was already working together with JB Dunckel from Air and Keren Ann and their projects Starwalker and Lady & Bird. Dark clouds are passing by, pushing the heaven near to the ground. Goosebumbs all over, the feeling of being not alone, a cold shower is passing the room. And this is how “The Sin Is Near” feels like, a bit dark, creepy but extremely present. No surprise, Bloodgroup was helping out with that creepyness. There couldn’t be a better beginning after the great “Something Wrong”, the last “Ghosts From The Past” and after years of working for several movie soundtracks for „De Toutes Nos Forces“ and “Would You Rather”. And after seven years of collecting feelings, moments, ideas and thoughts.
And all this feelings, moments, ideas and thoughts found a good home on “The Wolves Are Whispering” (released 19.6. via Bang ehf. / Alive), between strings, synthie-pianos and popsounds. Sometimes the coldish voice of Samaris singer Jofriður Ákadottir is crossing the hallway. She is almost breathing life into the dark rooms, she is whispering and everything is getting bigger, like a cathedral. She is taking your hand, coming very close to your face and singing “I can feel your heartdache under your surface”. You can feel the words healing in the silence. And then there are songs like “Wait By The Lake”, “My Special One” or “A Lonely Bird” (with Keren Ann) – softly, fragile and begging for listening and following Barði into the feelings and thoughts.
The end is marked with the unbelievable intense and beautiful song “We Will Never Get Along”. And here we go again: Goosebumbs, the cold shower is sneaking through the room, the song is building up and breaking out in the middle, it is sinister but in the beautiful way. “I am here with you even you are hiding somewhere else” – hello elfes, welcome to my home.
Barði has collected the best and also most sad thoughts, moments and feelings to create “The Wolves Are Whispering” and indeed made the best follow up for “Ghosts From The Past”. Still breathtaking, skinscratching and heartbreaking.
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