Matilda is the second album from Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L, and is the second part of a trilogy, following on from their debut Sanguis Meus, Mama. It’s a wonderfully folksy psychedelic piece of work that is exceedingly striking and it will suck you in and grab your interest from start to finish.
I’ve not heard any bands that sounds quite like this one, which is definitely a good thing because it shows the band is unafraid of trying new things and stepping outside the box, and it’s something that has paid off for them. The jouhikko (an ancient Karelian bowed three-string lyre) lines are hypnotic and are some serious earworms that will be stuck in your head once you’ve finished listening to Matilda.
One of the strongest songs of the album is second track Sata irti revittyä kieltä, and it has a really funky vibe to it. There’s a good bit of energy to the song, with the band keeping the momentum from start to finish with some foot-tappingly good rhythms, vocal and jouhikko lines that you’ll soon be humming along to and a groovy guitar line underneath keeping the track together.
As a whole, Matilda is an infectious and unique listen. If you’re looking for something a little different to the norm, then make sure you give this album a spin!
9/10
