Times are changing for Albert af Ekenstam.
The songwriter recently moved from Gothenburg to Stockholm, boosting his profile in his native Sweden in the process.
Matching the exquisite detail of Bon Iver to the sonic wash of Explosions In The Sky, his work is powerful, emotionally trenchant.
Hugely affecting, the way each cut gently unfurls has a real sense of grace, a true sense of patience.
Debut solo album 'Ashes' emerges on October 14th, with Clash able to premiere new cut 'The Devil Bird'.
Albert's soft, tender evocation of those naked lyrics is completely engrossing, while the arrangement – simple, yet never sparse – provides amble room to magnify those feelings.
He explains: “'The Devil Bird' is about the devil bird on your shoulder that always tell you to do the wrong thing. So you have to work against it and dare to choose the right way – it’s about choosing the way you want to live your life and not living up to the standards built up by others. It’s when you when you’re at rock bottom and you have to choose whether to go up or down. “We all gon’ die” at some point so be bold, take risks and choose what you’re afraid of…”
Check it out now…
