photo by Mikkel Suppras Kjeldsen
In autumn of 2020, I discovered a singer-songwriter Oliver Lübbert. When I heard his single “Frie Fugle”, I immediately became a fan of his simplistic ways of writing music, his mellow voice, and his poetic lyrics. Since then, I have impatiently been waiting for new songs from this talented young man. My wait is over because Oliver Lübbert has just released his debut EP “Fantastiske Tider”.
“Fantastiske Tider” is a six-song EP with “Frie Fugle” as the opener, followed by five tracks filled with metaphors and themes about love, opportunity, and loneliness. There is a certain light to these songs. Somehow, it takes the more melancholic ones and covers their depressing feeling with hope. “Eleanor” is about Lübbert’s first love that he lost, yet it carries a message that everything is going to be okay. We should not think of this as something that’s lost, but take it as an opportunity to appreciate what we had.
Although I am quite jubilant about this EP, I did not expect it to be so electronic. The synthesizers and computer-sounding drum machines result in a somewhat mainstream pop vibe, which I did not associate with my man Oliver Lübbert. However, with the surprising amount of electronic features, “Fantastiske Tider” is a great EP. It is well-produced and it does not stray far from the best qualities of Lübbert’s music. I guess, he just focused more on synth-pop this time than he did previously.
The fourth track “Palle Alene” is especially interesting. Its title is a Danish saying that means being utterly alone. A feeling we all can somehow relate to. The song is about Lübbert walking through Copenhagen alone because the woman he loved is no longer with him. That feeling of emptiness and loneliness takes him on a walk through the city, and even though he is surrounded by people, there is still a black cloud above his head that rains loneliness.
The guitar hook in “Palle Alene” and its overall vibe remind me of Gotye’s 2011 hit “Somebody That I Used To Know”. It is not at all a bad thing. The hook is simple and memorable, it makes the song what it is. Surely I am not the only one that hears the similarities?
When it is all said and done, I would not mind walking through the streets of Copenhagen listening to “Fantastiske Tider”. A walk from the Lakes in Nørrebro to Christianshavn on a sunny afternoon does not seem so long after all.
“Fantastiske Tider” is out and ready to be explored. It is a gem you can add to your list of great summer music.
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