After adoring Alfahanne’s previous two efforts, it surely went without saying that Det Nya Svarta, the third album from the Swedish alfapocalyptic rockers, was going to impress me too – but sadly, this one doesn’t quite hit the mark.
Musically it’s just a little bit weak, with the songs not being quite as impactful. There’s no real earworms that will get stuck in your head and it’s just not that exciting as a whole. The music has similar vibes to what made their previous releases so special but it’s almost like they’ve ran out of steam and are just recycling old ideas and music rather than continuing to trailblaze their own path with their unique style and approach. The flow of the piece is good, and there’s no faulting the musical and vocal performances, but as a whole it just falls flat – it’s like there’s a vital piece missing that gives the music that special edge.
It’s a shame because Alfahanne is always an exciting band to listen to, especially in a live environment, so for them to return with a not-so-engaging piece is uncharacteristic. Det Nya Svarta isn’t dreadful by any stretch, but it’s just an average listen from a band that is anything but average.
5/10
