Denmark-based Jacob Faurholt has just come to my attention thanks to the release of his latest album. Eleven tracks that emphasis the immediate and the intimate, it’s called Burn Burn Here.

By Graeme Smith

Jacob has been recording music since 1998, experimenting with a cheap microphone in his childhood bedroom. He’s released eleven solo albums since then, and supported indie acts such as Grizzly Bear and CocoRosie.

His new album opens with The Darkness. It’s a moody start with raw strummed strings accompanying Jacob’s expressive vocals. Lonely notes come in while the lyrics paint a melancholic picture. There’s some striking imagery running right through Burn Burn Here and it starts right from the off. The Darkness is an arresting and unsettling welcome to Jacob’s unique world.

Your Face is a Storm opens with a steady, looping melody and simmers with a sense of doubt. Words Whispered From the Sand opens with captured, crackling audio before arriving at a soulful, piano-led arrangement. Its use of minimalism gives it an understated power. It’s a highlight.

Sad Sad Tears provides some contrast with a lively and jangly folk rock moment. Its tongue feels firmly in its cheek as it rattles along for a punk-ish two minutes. It’s another highlight.

Everything is Dumb and Bright returns us to some delicate introspection and is rich with a sense of alienation. In the Pitch-Black Sky is vibrant and experimental, and brims with a cosmic energy. Brainy Advice bristles along with a reassuring warmth that tempers its soul-searching. It’s another highlight.

In the Fading Light gives us some tentative strings and a touch of romance. Ringing Through the Corridors is a track that transports you with its descriptive lyrics and atmospheric layers. Heavy Eyelids is a distorted wonder that is strangely reassuring. The Shimmering Of Ghosts closes the album with a piece that brings all the elements of it together – intimacy, experimentation and image-laden lyrics. It’s a beautiful farewell.

Burn Burn Here was recorded at Jacob’s home studio. You can give it a listen below.