Peter Bjärgö — Animus Retinentia
Lush strings, brooding orchestrations and the semi-whispered vocals are all present in track one, “You Let The Light Shine Through”, giving you the perfect glimpse into this almost private world of emotions, pain and loss. Following this is “Stillhet” a two minute piano and distant guitar instrumental. Each note a tear, every pluck of the strings is a wrench on your heart. Bjargo may keep mining the same seemingly rich vein of music, but he never seems to fail to deliver, always finding new and creative ways to present it.
“To Replace My Sadness” is slightly more militaristic, given the drums, but the depth of sadness and rising anguish are still there in the strings, vocals and guitars. “Grains”, another interlude instrumental, shifts slightly in it’s two minutes, almost like the end of a warm day before the evening and cooler air arrive in the sumptuousness of “Where Night Is Eternal”: cicadas skitting across the humid, heavy clouded air, as darkness envelops you and the whispered distant voices are all that can be heard.
“As Rain Falls”, another interlude track, sounds like little droplets landing to release the heat from the atmosphere. And you begin to remember the emotional journey through the night of this world in “Memories I and II”. My only slight complaint with this album is the final ten minute instrumental track “Sleep Dep.Loop2”, a deep drone and piano piece which could be five minutes shorter.
This isn’t just a cold wave album. It’s not just another Arcana or Sophia album either. This isn’t an album of the same-old-same-old, this is quite possibly Bjärgös best work yet. Animus Retinentia may very well mean holding onto feelings, but those feeling are shared with you here. Enjoy them.