Opphengt i det blå

Mixed review: after his comeback Leven discharged ten years of pent-up writing in albums, singles and EPs, somewhere between Van Morrison and a “Celtic Henry Rollins”. On Creatures his old Doll by Doll comrade Jo Shaw plays guitar and David Thomas takes part. The “Caledonian Soul” sounds familiar, but the musical engine begins to grind a little; Leven at times loses himself in big thoughts and forgets melodies that carry – “Rainy Day Bergen Women” should never have left the drawing board. By contrast, “My Spanish Dad”, “The Sexual Loneliness of Jesus Christ”, “Wrapped Up in Blue” and the jazzy “Friendship Between Men and Women” belong on any best-of. For the time being the album stands in the shadow of Forbidden Songs and Fairy Tales for Hard Men.