Moon Mother – Meadowlands | soundsfromthedarkside

Are you ready for some raw, emotional, blues-infused Swedish folk? We think you are, and Moon Mother probably agrees.

Moon Mother is a duo from Sweden that specialises in minimalistic folk music with big dollops of blues, Americana and a slight hint of doom. That’s not to say that their second album Meadowlands contains any hard rocking songs at all, but the sensibility is there, somewhere in the background, and I’d say their recent cover of Black Sabbath’s Planet Caravan alone makes that evident and tangible. What Meadowlands is mostly, however, is introspective, moody and hauntingly beautiful.

I gave the album a cautionary spin as soon as it hit our inbox, and about a minute into High Houses I was impressed and knew that this was going to be a magical ride; something special. And it is. It evokes a distinct Nordic feeling, marrying a very Scandinavic vibe with more modern soundscapes. High Houses hit very hard and very deep during that first spin and I am still unable to tell you why exactly that is; it just does. Sara and Patriec cordially invite you into their world and once that door is even slightly ajar, declining is not an option anymore.

The songs on Meadowlands are made up of vocals, (acoustic) guitar and bass, and drums, courtesy of Robert Hall, that are so subtly played and mixed that you hardly know they’re there, but would be missed if they weren’t. The arrangements, as minimalistic as they are, are inspiring. The entire album exudes a warm, fuzzy and slightly otherworldly atmosphere that reminds me first and foremost of Chelsea Wolfe’s Unknown Rooms. Every once in a while, Moon Mother allows things to blow up a bit and get noisy, like the ending to the wonderful single World in a Glass Jar, but those moments are few and far between and that is probably a good thing. They will make you sit up, but Meadowlands works best when it’s small and introspective. After the comparatively roaring, electric first part of Be a Forest, Child!, the sound of thunder hits. The guitar strums gently in that Ye Olde Western way whilst Sara entrances with her almost ethereal chants. You can almost see the thumbleweeds roll by in your mind. This is where Meadowlands works best; when it’s larger than life but casually austere about it.

Counting eight songs, Meadowlands delivers a journey that will be over in about forty-five minutes, but will linger for much longer. The production, which relies very heavily on reverb, does wonders for the otherworldly atmosphere Moon Mother wants to set down, and they nail it perfectly here. This is one of those albums that has the capability to put its arms around you, hold you and allows you to safely drift off for a while. You know that Oprah meme with the bees for everyone? That, but with feelings. And a very large part of what makes it work are Sara Mehner’s vocals. She enchants and enthralls, with her voice and style reminiscent of Clannad’s early albums. Very deep, powerful stuff, especially from Root Window on through the end of Windhover.

So, it’s February now and the album drops this Friday. Is it too early to start thinking about the top ten lists for the end of the year? It probably is, but I have chosen to disagree with you. Meadowlands is one the the most honest, evocative and meaningful things I have heard in a long, long time, and I’m deeply in awe of what this duo has pulled off on what is ultimately only their second album. Please check it out; you’ll come away a better person for it.

Buy it here: https://moonmothermusic.com/

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