Okay, so complaining about the weather is usually pretty much the most 'blah' thing you can do. We know, we know. BUT. (And this is a serious, v. important but). BUT… we've hit that point of winter where every time we wake up we, without fail, ask ourselves—holy shit, when will this evil scheming of the elements and cosmos generally called 'winter in Northern Europe' finally end?!? We are tired of having to brace near-apocalyptic winds every time we exit our homes. We no longer find rain and random moisture spitting in our faces cute. Frozen bike locks are an offense to humankind, people. Winter SUCKS. SO. BAD.So considering that those are the feels we're currently experiencing, thank goodness for the timing of Uttenthal's latest track, "Calinago". The Danish group's new song sounds like fancy drinks in coconuts on tropical beaches. Or staring at sun-soaked water while you're perched on ivory sand underneath a magenta sky. Or indulging in a bongo drum circle even though you usually boycott bongo drum circles but whatever, you're on holiday and can wear birkenstocks and forget to shower if you want to. All that is what you get when you take the soft twang of a guitar, add some subtle bongo drums, layer ethereal 'aaaaah'-ing in the background and heavily distort the main vocals. "Calinago" sounds blissful, easy-going and as if it wants time to stand still—and in no way resembles your unfortunate reality of being stuck in the biting frost of late January.It makes sense that Uttenthal's music feels this way: the band consists of 2-14 people whose debut album, Margaritaville, was recorded in Barcelona, Dublin and Copenhagen. Their next album, Splendida Vista, takes its name after a villa in the Dominican Republic where the album was created. The songs on the album - including "Calinago" - were written on a four month journey Søren Uttenthal took from Copenhagen to Cosón, via
Spain to Africa, on a small sailing boat. So yeah, Uttenthal's pretty much made to sound like an exotic, pineapple-and-sea-salt-scented dream—which is precisely what we need to remind us that these soul-sucking winter months will eventually die. Rejoice.
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Spain to Africa, on a small sailing boat. So yeah, Uttenthal's pretty much made to sound like an exotic, pineapple-and-sea-salt-scented dream—which is precisely what we need to remind us that these soul-sucking winter months will eventually die. Rejoice.