The new one from Christian Kjellvander isn't really the kind of record that's meant for me. My tolerance for this kind of music doesn't exist the way it once did. Still, that said, About Love and Loving Again is fairly successful at what it is. Kjellvander's voice commands this Tapete Records release, even if his ambitions seem to sometimes get ahead of it.
The title cut and "Trouble" are straightforward, and similar to stuff from Nick Cave in the Nineties, while "No Grace" maintains the sort of somber tone one would expect on a Tindersticks album. Similarly, "Cultural Spain" mines a similar vein even as the music swells and crashes like a Swans side.
Christian Kjellvander is a rather morose performer and, as such, his range is limited to a certain kind of material. The stuff here seems a bit too serious for its own good, and with little room for anything remotely playful. Still, in small doses, the music on About Love and Loving Again is fairly compelling at times.
About Love and Loving Again is out now via Tapete Records.
More details on Christian Kjellvander via the official Facebook page.
[Photo: Ritchy Fondermann]