If Mikael Åkerfeldt was living and writing music in an alternate universe, 2013 would have him pegged under the moniker Paulina Nyström and his band would be called Postures. Even more so, both singers come from Sweden and both this album and Opeth's Heritage from a few years back are, in so many ways, cut from the same cloth that it's borderline ridiculous.
On another note, you might remember me bitching about Opeth's latest release a bit, yet I've found in Postures sounds and general hooks that I've felt were lacking in Heritage - at least for me.
So, what's this all about really? Well, Postures takes a big bow to old-school jazzy experimentation, pinched with just the necessary grains of progressive and electronica to make its sound full, yet not overtly intrusive. And while I'm completely loving the vocal delivery of Paulina, what's even more interesting is that the band doesn't rely completely on her to carry the songs (it would be exhausting to say the least). Instead the album is split somewhat in the middle, with shorter, catchier songs sharing the same space alongside immense, carefully constructed instrumental monsters such as Solipse and Quakes. And trust me, they deliver big time.
You might want to take note of this band. While not breaking any barriers with their self titled debut, should they choose to perfect this particular style, I feel they could produce something extraordinary. Until then, we'll just have to make do with whatever we can (you hear that, Mikael?).
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