Automatism returns after a five-year hiatus-slash-break, bringing their talents together for yet another brilliantly mellow jaunt, with layers aplenty to peel back, harmonies to soak in, and emotions to stir. This is the Swedish band’s fourth full-length record to date, and having absorbed the whole discography, it’s certainly the most out-there. It contains two really good covers of songs you might not expect, sandwiched amongst some really fun and enjoyable rock.
The krautrock influences and space rock vibes have not gone anywhere, so fans of Papir, Edena Gardens, Casua Sui, and The Re-Stoned will find themselves right at home with this record, and the brilliant back catalogue. The four members are all multi-instrumentalists, meaning you get many rich and exciting layers, but also they have a big focus on the quality of the sound. In their press release, they discuss finding a brilliant recording studio in Sörmland, Sweden, an old chapel with stunning ceilings that lend the sound of the instruments a lofty, weightless quality.
Sörmland kicks off with quite a lot of energy, the first track “Video” opens with a playful, bouncy riff, before the band let rip and unleash the psych on the listener. The pace doesn’t really slow down much at all, despite the synths and atmosphere getting a lot weirder. Despite its short run time for a psych-rock song at under five minutes, it packs a lot into it, with layers aplenty to unpick and enjoy on subsequent runs. The reprise coming back to the opening riff is smooth, and I can imagine live they can stretch this out longer and play around with the track more, too.
After that, it is off to an island destination. The Khruangbin influence shines through on this one, a sleepy track with gorgeous guitar tones. Majestic, dulcet tones bounce around your ears, both from drums and guitars alike. “Honey” is one of those tracks that has a climax, yet you never want it to get to it, because you’re having such a great time on the build-up. The acoustic guitar playing off the warbling electric is really clean, too – sometimes bands can overwhelm the mix here, but I think both the quality of the recording, and the location lend themselves to the success of this track.
The next track, “Laura Palmer’s Theme,” was a pleasant surprise to see on the line-up. Being a huge Twin Peaks fan in a year where we lost David Lynch, it’s great to see his and the late Angelo Badalamenti‘s music celebrated in such a way. And what I feel they’ve done with the track is stunning, almost capturing the current mood of the world with the track too, with its darker and forlorn atmosphere. If you haven’t watched the video below of how the original was composed, I implore you to, as when listening to Automatism‘s version, you’ll see how well they’ve captured the essence of the track, whilst adding their flavour. Whilst dark and forlorn, I also think when they hit the crescendo, they’ve nailed the feeling of hope it gives.
The second cover, this time of Kraftwerk‘s “Neon Lights”, is a much slower take than the original, and it works well, I think. Given that I only listened to the original for the first time yesterday, though, I’ll leave that for the real fans to decide! The final and title track, however, is probably my favourite on the record. Sure, I love long tracks, so clocking in at nearly twelve minutes, it was always going to be up there. Yet what they do with that runtime is amazing.
Within the first minute, they’ve piled on the layers in another spacey, psychy track. The soft waves of the guitar chords pair with very light percussion, with the introduction of a piano adding a lot to the track. What is cool about Automatism‘s work, though, is that you cannot pinpoint another track that sounds just like another. “Sörmland” is unique in their discography and, for what I can tell, it’s the first time they’ve used a Tenor Saxophone in their music. Breaking onto the mix around the seven-minute mark, it adds a complex sound that compels the song to be brilliant. You’re transported into space, and listening to this song when I was flying across the Atlantic the other week, watching the sun set on the horizon, it felt really special.
Automatism delivers a strong album with Sörmland, certainly one of their best. The varied pace and vibe of the album offers a really diverse listening experience, the mix and mastering is fantastic, and there is so much to dive into on relistens. Make sure to pick this up when it is out!
