Full of contrasts, Ashes & Fire‘s debut album In The Mourning Light showcases the full range of the Swedish Americana duo’s sound.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Lovisa Hagstrom

Ashes & Fire are Erik Petterson Sjöqvist and Liza Morgansdotter. They’ve been working on their debut album for a decade, exploring a personal journey where uncertainty and ecstasy went hand in hand, unfolding against a backdrop of the drama and heartbreak that comes in your 20s.

It’s difficult to pinpoint their sound. In moments it’s stripped-back country, and in the next it’s 90s rock in the vein of Alanis Morrisette. Throw in shades of Jeff Buckley and Ryan Adams, plus the pair’s own take on the Americana and rock genres, and you end up with something strikingly unique.

At 26 tracks long, In The Mourning Light is a beast of a record, but it never feels overly-long, right from its delicate piano-led intro Overture: SPRING right to its moody, storytelling title track closer.

In between we are treated to highlights like the vibrant and timeless emotional anthem Clementine, the simmering, introspective and image-laden The Lone Spectre, and the bright and ethereal Hopeful. Return Of The Grievous Angel gives a delightful moment of honky-tonk while For A Lover and In Between Times are expansive and pleading. Red Dirt Girl is a gentle moment of melancholy. Helpless shakes it all off with some rousing rises.

Through it all runs a theme of contrasts – light & dark, happy & sad, loud & quiet, enhanced by Erik and Liza’s shared vocals, meaning we’re always left excited about what’s to come next.

This debut album is an ambitious one from Ashes & Fire but they realise the ambition well by drawing on a timeless sound and bringing plenty of their own emotion to it. The pair work beautifully together, and have penned a collection in which it’s easy to get lost if you make the time for it.

In The Mourning Light is out now and you can check it out below.