Celestine
Between bedtime and sunrise
Exergy Music
Celestine produce a sound that I'd kinda call "joyous melancholy," if that isn't too contradictory. The music is strong and life-affirming, played with energy, but the dark undercurrent is quite palpable. This band hovers between epic balladry, moody slowcore and something a bit more eccentric, as on the texturally interesting "Masterpiece" and the ear-baiting title cut, on which vocalist Mattias Erikssen sings "Let me sleep through the night/Free from ghosts and creeps" softly, before the band kicks up quite a ruckus, enough to scare said creeps away. "Sunflower" would be a hit single if I ruled the world: it's a great chiming, rhythmic tune with breezy acoustic guitars, a harmonium (I think) and an affecting vocal. The vocals take a little getting used to (they're low and rather dour), but Mattias Olsson produced this disc with warmth and clarity, and the sound is consistent. No something you'd probably wanna hear daily, but God love bands like this for doing textural melancholy just right, for when you need it.
- Kevin Renick