Infusing nostalgic spy film inspiration with a knack for hooky psych-pop expanses, Evasion is the riveting new album from Y is Nature. The project of Danish composer and songwriter Hjalmar Littauer excels with a replay-inducing, stylish sound that certainly succeeds in its aim to capture “something cinematic and theatrical,” per Littauer. The Oslo-based artist also notes Portishead as an aesthetical influence. The overall result blends those spy thriller inspirations with a melding of pop, alternative, dream-pop, psychedelia, and disco for an immersive style referred to as “spy pop.”
Alongside Littauer’s illuminating production and hooky songwriting comes a variety of talented collaborators, especially in the vocal realm. Ronja Katrin Larsen’s magnetic vocals star on the track “Transition,” seamlessly escalating from the lush acoustic-set ruminations into the flourishing synth colors; beautiful synth work is a mainstay on the album’s production, with some contributed from Simon Littauer, who co-produced half its tracks. Radiant synths and alluring vocals build into a lovely flute-laden breeziness, which Littauer likens to an accompaniment to “a James Bond-type character coming to the rescue, saving the day in a film’s final scene.”
Another standout comes in the track “Take Care of Me,” where haunting piano and atmospheric guitars complement the chilly vocals of vocalist and songwriter Tuva Svendsen Hesmyr. “And I try to so hard to breathe,” heartrending vocals let out amidst solemn string arrangements, traversing cohesively from this elegant balladry into more rousing rock theatrics. “Trouble” is excellent as well — embracing those spy elements in the whispered vocal elements and initial progression; shades of James Bond films are again evident. Sindre Bjørkli Ramberg (Great People) lends a compelling vocal presence here, with the foreboding “ship is sinking fast,” lyricism infusing within vintage-sounding strings and hypnotic guitars for another ravishing aesthetical success. Evasion is a wholly memorable success from Y is Nature.
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“Take Care of Me” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
