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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Down in the Dungen, 28 Feb 2006
Dungen's third album "Ta Det Lungt" is not the sort of music that will get a lot of radioplay. Thank God. Instead, it's the sort of music that will deservingly acquire a cult following -- a sparkling, mad, wild musical psychedelic pop trip. This is probably the best Swedish import since Ingrid Bergman. And there isn't any better way to open than with "Panda," a sparkling rock song that is both infectiously catchy and wonderfully rockin'. That fuzzy, cycling guitar works very well with the colorful Hammond melodies; it takes that great rock vibe and makes it fun as well. Unless you are (or speak) Swedish, you probably won't understand a word Gustav Estjes sings. But somehow that's okay. He and his band forge through more wild tunes, like the echoing "Gjort bort sig," some mellow folk-rock, sprawling experimental songs (which brought a morning meadow to mind), and the sizzling riffs of the title track. Not that everything is straightforward rock'n'roll; at the halfway point, things get a bit weird. "Det du tänker idag är du i morgon" is a smooth, shimmering little pop song full of flute, drums and Hammond, and is probably one of the prettiest songs released in the past year. It's followed by a few ominous experimental songs and an epic folk ballad, before finally finishing with a blast of pure, wild psychrock. Dungen was one of the unexpected underground hits of the year -- before "Ta Det Lungt," they weren't really known outside of Sweden. Thankfully, that has changed, because their third album puts them up in the ranking of appealing, enchanting music that happens to be fun from start to finish. You c One of the greatest things about "Ta Det Lungt" is the giant mass of instrumentation, which is somehow squeezed into small songs. The fuzz guitar can explore the cascading riffs, while the drums can smash or shimmer. And there's flute, Hammond, violin and gentle acoustic guitar, making up a colorful musical quilt. Gustav Estjes has a lovely voice, frankly. I don't understand a word of what he DOES sing, but his voice is pleasantly ordinary-sounding, but still able to soar. At times, he almost sounds like John Lennon. But his biggest skill is his ability to not be overpowered by (or overpower) the music -- he sounds like a natural part of it, as if he were another instrument. Wonderfully weird, colorfully charming, "Ta Det Lungt" brought Dungen into the spotlight, which is where they deserve to be. Definitely one of the best albums of 2005.
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