It sometimes happens that you come to be affectionate a band for no evident reason; they may not have the guitar skills of Jimmy Page, the vocal capacity of Otis Redding or the charisma of James Brown… and they probably won’t be remembered twenty years from now, but you will always appreciate those moments spent in the company of their music.
For me, The Dø is one of those bands. This franco-finnish couple/ duo Olivia Merilahti and Dan Levy has never stopped amazing me since I first discovered them in 2008 with their track ‘On My Shoulders‘.
Seeing them live a few years back at King’s College Student Union was probably one of the biggest musical surprises of my life. Some skeptics may find that they too similar to other folk act in their record collection but I have rarely seen such a magistral performance from a band and was literally blown away by Merilahti‘s charisma.
Their first album ‘A Mouthful‘ has proven to be quite a success in their home countries, France and Finland, but never really managed to conquer the English speaking world. Shame.
New album ‘Both Ways Open Jaws‘ carries on from the same spot, and once again shows the couple’s kaleidoscope of sounds, atmospheres and vocals. From catchy pop ballads such as ‘Too Insistent‘ and ‘ Was It A Dream‘ that would make any Lily Allens of this world jealous, to a M.I.A like haunting vibe on ‘Slippery Slope‘, or more electronic sounds on intro ‘B.W.O.J‘, the Dø have this incredible knack for eclecticism, partly made possible through Olivia‘s astonishing vocal capabilities.
Tune after tune this album is a little beauty full of sincerity, lyricism and a sample of what is best in current scandinavian music.
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Post by Olivia
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