My favorite Swede that really doesn’t play my regular music at all has released a new album! It is of course Armadillo King, that today are a band and not a single person as it was in the beginning when I first got to know the music.
For me it started when I was listening to the local radio and they played the song “Grave of Fools” by Armadillo King. It turned out that it was a dude from the small town of Nyköping, Sweden, and his real name is Henning Ejnefjäll. And he did all the music by him self. I fell for the song right away. After a couple of months he released the song “Borrowed Time“, that was equally good, or maybe even better, even though it was two different songs with different aproaches. But those two songs made me look up Henning, and I got an interview with him. I still got the interview, sorry to say I haven’t published it yet for different reasons. But I still plan to do that. Anyway, it was a really good and nice interview and he revieled to me that he had plans for an album.
It was the album “A Drifters Tale” that went public last year, and it was a really great album. You can read the review here: http://www.crannk.com/crannk-reviews-armadillo-king-a-drifters-tale/.
Now Henning and Armadillo King is back. The sound is the same. A sound that Henning describes as “Americana Noir“. A kind of darker form of the genre that could best be described as include styles like folkmusic, countryblues, bluegrass, alterative country, rockabilly, rotrock and heartland rock, accourding to Wikipedia. To me it’s like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Emmylou Harris etc. But a bit darker. And I can only agree, I get a lot of influences here. But the great thing with Armadillo King i that he has found his own style and genre here.
One big difference from the music I have heard before is that has been the “character” who played the main character in the songs, but this album is different. Henning lost his father last year, and this album is a very special dedication to his father. An album where the music is a way to process the sorrow. It is sometimes a sad album, but above all it is a nice and beautiful album with a good mix of different paces, but the typical noir of Armadillo King is alwas there. It’s an low-keyed album, and maybe not many hit-songs, but it is a album with only strong songs. It’s an album where you have to hear all the songs in the right order, and then you get the whole picture. If you take the time to listen to lyrics the album will get you to another level. It’s a very emotional experience when you know the history.
Henning is a fantastic songwriter and his voice is so perfectly suited with music he is performing. As I said in the beginning, I instantly fell for the music when I heard it for the first time, but this album is on another level, because it feels so personal. Unbelievable good and emotional, and my admiration of Henning as a musician just keeps growing. But I won’t belittle the band. They are incredibly skilled musicians, but for me Armadillo King is still Henning Ejnefjäll, that’s what I discovered. But things can change.
The songs “Two Lives Apart“, “Inner Peace” are a couple of favorite songs toghether with “I’ll find you in heaven” and “With you tonight“. Four songs that really make my eyes to tear up. Makes me think of those I have lost and hope to see again.
To sum it up, an indescribable beutiful album! It works amazing in the background, or if you just want to listen to great music, and perfect if you feel that you miss someone. For me my grandfather. Though it should be “noir”, it gives me light in my darkness. So be sure to listen to it!! Over and over again!
