Benedikt - “Blood Moon”
Photo by Kristoffer Eidsnes
Norway’s Benedikt will release their third album, Why Are You Dreaming?, on April 28th, but while we wait, they’ve made sure to keep us satisfied with the new single, “Blood Moon.”
This song begins with a very nice, genre-appropriate acoustic guitar being strummed, but to be very clear, “Blood Moon” initially won us over with its Sufjan Stevens vibes, which are evident as soon as the vocal begins. And for the first half-minute or so, every listener will be completely fixated on the tale this song is telling us, which is about mourning someone who is still alive. From there, the track lifts as additional elements are applied, such as some bass and soft percussion, plus a synth that sounds as though it could be a ghostly lap steel. All of this, in combination with the ethereal backing vocals, set the listener up for quite the cinematic experience.
The second verse of “Blood Moon” carries over some of these additional instruments, providing a sonically thick production as the song moves forward. The pulsating kick drum adds a slight sense of urgency in the distance, as a piano strikes a chord at the top of every bar. While we were instantly fans based upon the song’s subject matter, “Blood Moon” is a fine example of indie folk craftsmanship, both in performance and overall production. And though this is the first we’re hearing from Benedikt, we truly cannot wait for the rest of the album to drop at the end of the month.
There are only a few short weeks until they release Why Are You Dreaming?, but you can hear five songs from the record here:
-TM