Amandine - Solace in Sore Hands

Amandine create Americana-influenced alt-folk that subverts and perverts the instantly recognisable archetypes of Cash, Young and Nick Cave. Utilising beguiling minor chords and obscure instruments from their Swedish heritage, they achieve darkly melodic passages that form an intensely cathartic album. Their second album, Solace in Sore Hands, showcases an intellectual sense of absurdity that drags the listener into introspection and melancholy. On first listen, Chores of the Heart seems fairly straightforward, full of electro-acoustic guitar and wailing vocals, but the reverberating mellotron and violin that permeate suggest otherworldly possibilities. Whilst Secrets hits with punchy crescendos and indie-rock flavours, Silver Bells offers washed out percussion and an extensive orchestra that suggests the doomy ambience of Múm and leaves the heart aching. The title offers rebirth through intense labour, and Solace is a physically draining record: "desperation bleeds from your tired eyes," Chores of the Heart sighs, and it seems there's little light beyond the darkness. Though it's a unique take on a well-worn formula and Amandine are emotionally effective, musical possibilities are left unexplored in favour of the darker sentiments. Stunning nonetheless. [Liam Arnold]