Kristian Harting – Summer of Crush

Album Review by Duncan Harman | 30 Oct 2015
Album title: Summer of Crush
Artist: Kristian Harting
Label: Exile on Mainstream
Release date: 30 Oct

“The muted, minimalist nature of these recordings will perhaps leave some yearning for more layers of sound to get lost in,” said The Skinny of Float, the Danish singer-songwriter’s solo debut. And perhaps he was reading; Summer of Crush retains the lightly-fried Americana and drifty, acoustic-driven folk of its predecessor – bittersweet opener Traveller a case in point – but the focus here is more expansive, the sonic palette more robust.

It works; by the time that track three White Spirit unfurls we’re into very different territory, glissando synths and gravelled, distorted guitar the dissonance to buttress each waft of vocal. The skill here is how Harting allows each track to breathe, to pivot naturally, standout Ship of Fools decorated with just the right amount of detail. And whilst lyrically new ground is rarely broken, the fugue-like textures of Digging Up Graves and composure underpinning instrumental South North Passage ensures that the intimacy is never watered down. 

http://kristianharting.dk