Albin Lee Meldau has released Discomforts, his first English language album in more than six years. It positions him as an intriguing artist proposition. On one hand he’s a regular Top 10 chart fixture and an arena-filling artist across the Nordic countries. Yet in the UK he’s a rising star, his profile growing with each release assisted by regular Radio 2 playlists and mounting acclaim. Just as importantly, Discomforts simmers with such a wealth of inspiration that it feels like a debut.
Albin Lee Meldau
What if you let all of your flaws shine through, unafraid of the judgement that might follow? On Albin Lee Meldau’s breathtaking new album, he bares his soul to thrilling effect, regaling listeners with tales of mistakes made and lessons learned. It’s a tremendous marriage of all of his major influences, from soul to reggae, blues to alt-rock, bound together by his unmistakable voice.
These songs are chapters in his life so far, revisiting his wilder, more troubled years and reflecting on how fortunate he is to still be alive. And that’s no exaggeration. The first time around, Meldau became a hot tip, making major inroads into the US and recording a memorable NPR session. But behind the scenes, his foundations were crumbling. Drug addiction and alcoholism was wrecking his career, his relationships and his friendships. Eventually he had to make a stark decision: clean up or succumb altogether. Coming out the other side, he started his career almost from scratch, writing this new album and recording alongside the GRAMMY® / Ivor Novello-winner Eg White (Adele, Florence + The Machine). As such, Discomforts is a second chapter of a story that almost ended with its first.
The 36-year-old says, “It’s about love, and addiction. All the different styles, they’re just like colours in a palette, different ingredients to help form a complete landscape. I’m just very proud of this record. It’s been one hell of a rollercoaster, making it over four or five years. Not many people get that chance.”
The new focus track If You Ever Change Your Mind is the devastating heart of the album. Meldau returns to the darkest point of his story with a song that finds him at his most vulnerable, all while delivering one of his finest and most emotionally fraught vocal performances to date. As he acknowledges, “It’s dark. It’s a bloody dark song about a friend, a lot of friends. Most of us didn’t make it.” Watch the live video below:
If I Ever Change Your Mind joins a host of Albin’s recent singles on the album, including Now You’re Here, Forget About Us, a new English version of his smash hit Josephine featuring Lissie, and a collaboration with Jack Savoretti on Hold Your Head Up.
Its brand new material is similarly essential, giving bright sonic hues to an evocation of faded memories on Loss; Discomforts explores how to experience sobriety for the first time to a Sunday morning haze of laidback soul; there’s an almost dubby, dancehall feel to Girlfriend and ska-tinged rhythms on Mainly Disappointed; while User Lost hits that first pre-redemption realisation that it’s time to make a change. And ultimately, Discomforts is a triumph of facing your demons, starting again, and re-emerging better than ever before.
Albin Lee Meldau’s Discomforts tour visits Germany, Denmark and Norway before playing seven huge arena shows in Sweden.
Share Thing