Posted on: February 23, 2018 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Captain of Sorrow is a pretty apt moniker for Danish singer Hans-Christian’s latest project. “Racetrack Babies” – appropriately enough the name of his band that initially started work on this album before they imploded – is a soaring, ambitious, though certainly moody collection of songs.

While not easily classified, you can hear hints of everyone from melancholy indie pop fare like Fleet Foxes and Band of Horses to noisier power pop influences like Mogwai (especially on a song like “Anti Anti” with its powerful chugging guitars). Though the album gets off to a slow start with a couple of somber tracks, they starts to shine once they hits “Buzzword Surfers” and sound like a completely different band on the powerful “Park the Bench.”

At a dozen tracks, “Racetrack Babies” feels a little bloated. But when they are at their best – and there are a few moments on this record – there are hints of a band that could win over audiences from across the musical divide, everyone from Indie kids to punk fans to devotes of Sad Bastard music.

Captain of Sorrow – Racetrack Babies/12 tracks/Musikministeriet/2018

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