Lopun Ajan Kansan Lauluja is the beautiful second album from J. Kill & Mr. Mule, and it’s a great little piece that makes for easy listening.
It’s a very atmospheric and relaxed piece of work, and is quite ambient and sparse at times, which makes the album more immersive as a result as it requires your closer attention – and you can really get sucked into the gentle experimental folksy mood of it all. The on-the-surface simplicity works well for the music, with the little intricacies nestled nicely underneath.
A particular highlight comes with fifth track Harhakuvat (Eng. Mirages). It’s a rather dreamlike song, so the feeling matches the title very well, and the ethereal, smooth delivery of the vocals is absolutely beautiful, adding to the ambience of the song. Additionally, the electronic line beneath the acoustic guitar and vocals is a nice touch and gives the track a bit of a mysterious vibe in addition to the dreaminess of it.
As a whole, Lopun Ajan Kansan Lauluja is a very interesting listen and it’s definitely fair to say that the saying “less is more” applies to this, proving that sometimes you don’t have to go all-out with energy and momentum to create something that will leave an impression.
9/10
