Rasmus Nelausen’s latest single is a rich, layered, deep, and endearing listen for us, as well as a daring expedition for the artist himself.
The Nyrup-based Dane Rasmus Nelausen is set to release his second studio album in the upcoming spring, but for welcoming the new year, he has set out to give us its quaint first single, Recollections. Rasmus Nelausen’s sound has mostly revolved around his acoustic guitar up till this point, which adds a ton of context to this latest single of his. A densely layered and colorful release, Recollection is rich with ideas, quirks, meanings, and a plethora of pleasantries.
The lush soundscape revolves, mostly still, around a strummed guitar. A hearty, spacey chord progression, a mildly (but decisively) modulated electric guitar, and a meaty, deep, throbbing bass provide most of the base of this delicate arrangement. An ingenious and delightful saxophone solo is perhaps as pleasant of a surprise as anything else could ever be. The frigid, yet tight, and collected mix plays perfectly to the favor of Nelausen’s inviting, laid-back tenor. An inspired singer, Rasmus’s delivery is comforting and imposing while being effortless and natural, and it helps massively that the words have sufficient depth, relatability, and meaning to them. Recollections is a song essentially about letting go, when the past starts to take a toll on us that’s a little too unhealthy, the difficulty of letting go, and the necessity of it.
Rasmus Nelausen’s music leans heavily on the sound of Bears Den. Intentional or not, I’m not complaining, Bear’s Den happens to be a favorite of mine. That’s not to say that Nelausen’s music is a copycat, quite the opposite. Rasmus Nelausen’s music is unique to his emotions and thoughts, his musicianship on Recollections is definitely his own, his vision on the mix and the production is one of a kind, and the song ends ups being a rich, characterful addition to his catalog, and proof enough that his music is still as intoxicating and as inviting without his acoustic in the forefront. Consider our appetites wetted for the album.