Under Byen is a band of another place and time. That other place, to be exact, is Denmark, which would explain the nearly unpronounceable-to-English-tongues song titles. And that other time? Hard to say, but most likely a distant future. Though they may at times recall Bjork, Sigur Ros or Massive Attack, Under Byen is a band without peer. Their stateside debut, Samme Stof Som Stof, walks a very broad line between ominous and chaotic post-rock and gentle, graceful Scandinavian pop. While simple, yet gorgeous tracks like “Tindrer� present the more straightforward side of the band, dissonant clangers like “Pilot� prove just how confounding they can be. Yet the nine minute centerpiece, “Film Og Omvendt,� is a cinematic masterpiece, a chaotic and sweeping epic that is at once devastating and deeply moving. The feelings that Under Byen conjures within the listener are truly mysterious and transcend any purely verbal level. Music this powerful speaks for itself.
~ Jeff Terich
Release Date: October 24, 2006
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