Henke Wermelin brings us his sophomore album ‘Accolades’ on May 1st 2017! A thirteen song collection covering a wide range as it travels from grand folk ballads over rootsy rock to singer-songwriter renditions with a country twang – finding its home somewhere between Americana, folk and soulful pop.
Henke Wermelin made his debut in 2013 with ‘The New Black Is Blue’ and was mentioned as rootsy indie, Americana and 70s inspired pop. Growing up in the 90s and having Wilco as God and guiding principle Henke Wermelin is bound to never make an album that will let itself be pigeonholed easily.
Hailing from the windy city of Gothenburg, Sweden – a port town with a rich music culture where every other artist have written an anthem about their hometown – Henke Wermelin is better known as a vivid storyteller focusing on the vicissitudes of fortune. Not so much stuck in geography as the generic folk songwriter, rather searching the common grounds in the lives of human beings and always singing the praise of hope. This is the connective tissue of ‘Accolades’ as its main theme is a longing to find safety and peace.
The album starts off with the repetitive sloganeering of ‘When We Move Back Home’, a gospel sounding Americana gem sung partly in canon that emphasizes the whole theme of the album. Continuing with the farewell of an old friend in ’ Gå’. A song sung in Swedish as is the dark lullaby ‘41’ . Then there are the more confessional numbers as ‘Save Yourself’ , Coming Home’ and ‘Amends’ – in the latter Wermelin admits ”…cause I’ve had it up to here with all my fears. I’ve grown tired of those tears” aiming at the brittleness of life and existential fears.
Henke Wermelin has a good name for making political standpoints and ‘Accolades’ has one clear moment of this in ‘Civilized Treason’. A track that was written in response to several gang rape cases in Sweden where the perpetrators either walked free, or received surprisingly short punishments.
Yet all the darkness, hope is celebrated in several songs as in the magnificent ballad ‘All Of You Goddamn Sheep’, the 70s Lizzy-riffing ‘If You Had A Heart’ or the mellow ‘All Over Town Tonight’ which also features guest vocals by Australian Abbie Cardwell.
‘Accolades’ is released on May 1st 2017 on most digital platforms and on cassette via Sweet Baby Jesus Records.
The Rocker - The Artist Formerly Known As Zeitgeist. TAFKAZ 
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