Another Swedish masterpiece...second only to Brännvin obviously.
While Dungen remains by far one of the most critically acclaimed bands currently hawking its wares around the musical marketplace, it also remains one that hasn't quite broken out of the underground fan boy circuit and hit big with the popular music masses. Of course, the reasons for this are fairly obvious; (one) Dungen is a weird name, (two) Dungen plays a heady concoction of jazzy, fuzzed-out psychedelic folk and (three) Dungen doesn't perform material in English.
And while it's a shame that Gustav Ejstes et al aren't reaping the monetary rewards that widespread success yields, at least the band is still making music, and as an aficionado, you still have that cosy feeling that you're a member of a secret club when someone asks you "Who the hell are Dungen?!"
'4' is Dungen's fourth studio album (though it's also its sixth record) and while you'll find the band's sound still relatively intact when compared to past discs such as 'Stadsvandringar' and the masterful 'Ta Det Lugnt', the stylistic tweaks made by Ejstes on this record (ditching his fiddle and guitar and focusing on the piano for starters), can certainly be felt. For sure, it's resulted in a slightly more orthodox pop-rock sound, but it's one that is no less beguiling.
As you'd expect, the record is crammed full of jazz and folk-based psychedelic sessions. But with none of the tracks pushing five minutes in length, there's also a focus, hitherto absent, on tight song structure and the development of poppier melodies, rather than just churning out the meandering improvisational instrumentals of previous times.
Due to Ejstes's focus on ebony and ivory, guitarist Reine Fiske's role is obviously expanded, and on opener 'Sätt Att Se', his dazzling fuzzy, thick jazz melodies rest easily on the smooth grooves of piano, bass and fervent, crisp percussion to create a driving yet relaxingly seductive trip. His enviable skills are showcased further on 'Samtidigt' and ' Samtidigt 2'; two fantastic psychedelic Hendrix-style jam sessions that are so enthralling, it's impossible not to wish Ejstes had included the entire tape rather than the limited eight minute excerpts we get here.
But it's that aforementioned new found appreciation for form and structure that dominates '4'. 'Måleråa Finest' epitomises what Tom Waits believes is the perfect style of music to play when you're romancing a girl in the front seat of your car: "y'know, like shopping music - something that's not too interruptive", as it blends classy Musak-style melodies with jazzy inflections and silky strings. 'Det Tar Tid' is more poppy too; all inventive, frenetic drum fills, glistening keyboard effects and driving bass lines - with Ejstes providing a delightful reverberating vocal too.
'Ingenting Är Sig Likt' is another smooth, piano-heavy melange (with hand claps) that sounds a little like a Swedish translation of 'Figure 8'-era Elliott Smith. Ejstes keeps his steely gaze on keyboards on 'Fredag' too, adds another resonant guitar part (again courtesy of Fiske), finally supplementing both with a mesmeric, surging bass line from Mattias Gustavsson.
'Minda Damer Och Fashner' and 'Bandhagen' are both lighter and funkier propositions - both wonderfully orchestrated, and feeling so huge, they're undeniably cinematic. The flutes and shuffling snares are a particular highlight.
By altering elements of its established sound, Dungen has taken a risk with '4', and it's a triumphant success. Rather than jettisoning the core free-form elements that have previously ensnared and enthralled, '4' reconceptualises these psychedelic, jazz-inflected compositions by remoulding them into popular pop song packages. Rather than devaluing the sound, this enriches it, as the necessity of cherry picking prompts Ejstes to keep a steady eye on quality control.
This disc is at once a great 'in' record for those not yet fully under the spell of the Swedish masters. For the long time devotees, it's a chance to hear Ejstes explore other areas of the musical playground, rather than just sticking to what he does best and hogging the cheery airplane on the big spring in the corner. Fantastic.