Blod - Den Oändliga Historien

More new Blod, from the well that n'ver runneth dry. Gustaf Dicksson is seemingly always busy in one way or another, and on this latest exploration of Swedish folk song aesthetic has also called on the time of a wider cast of singers and players, some of whom you'll know well (or at least well enough) - Amateur Hour's Julia Bjernelind, Elin Engström of Loopsel, Discreet alumni Magnus Jäverling - and others much less so, in particular Dicksson's own two children. They sing in Swedish, often together in their own church group like harmony, and we aren't provided a lyrics sheet to translate, so the meaning for me at least remains out of reach, though there's a distinctly homely feel to Den Oändliga Historien that's both wholesome and cultish. It's that classic Blod aesthetic once again! As with a number of the recent Gustaf-helmed releases, the lo-fi rendered, is it beauty?/is it perverse? presentation and prolific rate of output reminds me a good deal of early Will Oldham/Palace Music, a feeling supported by Discreet's very own description of the record as "in many ways the darkest Blod record yet while at the same time being weirdly uplifting". The title translates as "The Neverending Story" and yes, there are a lot of Blod records that occasionally does make it feel that way (and equally hard to keep pace with), though I will admit this one has grabbed me a significant deal more than some of the others of late, feeling less an artful genre excavation and more akin to Dicksson's true songwriting voice, a strange brew of sorrow and joy. Whether that's accurate or not I've decided is beyond the point - the truth is in the conviction, and everyone involved here is serving perfectly. If you didn't think you needed another Blod record, Den Oändliga Historien shows just how wrong a person can be. 
 
FFO: Palace Bros, Will Oldham, The Kitchen Cynics, Tower Recordings, Enhet for Fri Musik