Review Summary: Where to go next?
For a group that was always ready to jump headfirst into uncharted territory, Ulver have become quite comfortable these days. What started as an exciting new direction with the art/synth pop adventure,
The Assassination of Julius Caesar, gradually turned up the starting point for future projects. Perhaps just as seduced by it as the new fans it summoned, the band immersed themselves deeper into this accessible electronic sound. Reliant on constant change, we’ve never had the opportunity to witness multiple variations of a certain style from them until now. As they got sucked into the world of sequencers and dance beats, we could hear a blend of various eras such as ‘80s pop, disco, synthwave and the occasional ambient and drone works. The novelty wore off, leaving few surprises to unfold by the time the first new tracks from
Liminal Animals were unveiled. Nevertheless, before we could say they were going around in circles, the next string of singles shifted things a bit. More diversity was found, therefore throwing this LP at a crossroads between the output of the past decade and further sonic progress.
On one hand, we received the familiar “Ghost Entry” and “Hollywood Babylon”, pairing Rygg’s silky croon with steady beats and dreamy synthwave melodies. These, along with the smooth groove of “The Red Light” comprise the logical follow-up to
Flowers of Evil. In between them, things turn more intriguing with the two cinematic “Nocturne” cuts. #1 echoes the droning ambient aspects of
Shadows of the Sun, whereas the second builds up akin to a late ‘80s Depeche Mode instrumental. Both are lovely and could spark a new project idea. Another highlight is the nostalgic “Forgive Us”, sharing a late night, Sade-type lounge atmosphere, complete with Nils Peter Molvaer’s beautiful trumpet solo. Despite not featuring the late Tore Ylwizaker’s contributions, the trademark piano chords remind most of him. The lengthy closing number, “Helian (Trakl)” finds Jorn reciting the respective poem by Georg Trakl over a bittersweet yet mesmerizing soundtrack. Dedicate to Tore, his gravelly voice reads the verses like a eulogy. What an unfortunate event to happen, as Ylwizaker represented an essential part of the band’s evolution ever since 1998’s
William Blake LP.
In the end,
Liminal Animals stands as a transitional release for Ulver, who loosened up their conceptual stylings for an easier listening approach overall. Half of the songs are built on the type of grooves used on the previous couple of records, while the other side gently moves forward towards new sounds. It is quite hard to leave such a fruitful sonic comfort zone, but they have to, as the output will gradually become stagnant. That is a term they could never be accused of, so let’s hope it stays that way. This album is enjoyable, especially for newer fans, who dig the pop side of the Norwegian act. However, it is not a career highlight. It’s been quite a tough year for them, but it looks like they are ready for new challenges.
