Listen: Junip - "Line of Fire"

Has it really been three years since we've heard new sounds from the Swedish folk rock trio Junip? Apparently so. And their latest single "Line of Fire" off their forthcoming sophomore record shows exactly what we've been missing: swaggering drum beats and a sparse but not empty, slow burning canvas for Jose Gonzales' lilting vocals. Junip always has this talent for having busy, bustling songs that sound anything but.

There's no doubt that there's a lot of things happening on "Line of Fire", with string sounds and organ alongside rapidly moving drums and guitar and cresting meandering vocals but somehow, it doesn't quite seem overwhelming. There's space for everything to breath and stretch to the most of it ability. "Line of Fire" is one of those tracks whose intricacies reveal themselves only when you hold them under a magnifying glass.

Otherwise it appears rather simple, a very logical step for a band offering up follow up material; close enough to previous sounds to be familiar while not appearing to be a rehashing of already treaded moments. Proof of a band that knows what it's doing; able to shift focus off their complexity of what it's doing to the utter enjoyment of it.

Listen to Junip's return in "Line of Fire":   


Junip's sophomore record is due out in April.

Pitstop: Junip

I'm not exactly sure how I found out about Junip. I remember the band's name being on the ever-lengthening list of bands to check out for at least three months now until about a week ago when I purchased their debut album Fields on a whim. Swedish trio Junip is one of those bands that somehow manage to defy genre-fication. Featuring solo singer/songwriter Jose Gonzales on guitar and vocals, Elias Araya on drums, and Tobias Winterkorn on keyboard instruments like synthesizer and organ, the instrumental combination fools you into knowing what to expect. The band has a retro-rock sound without actually imitating anything combined with some folk elements. Their album is like stumbling into a jam session, sometimes lacking an apparent structure but rather being an organic growth. Unsurprising upon learning that the debut was 10 years in the making and that the three frequently improvised together. Their method of songwriting is actually to jam together and save the good bits that happen and try and do something with them. It's a good method for them. Instead of lyric-focused songs, you have these collections of songs that feature hand offs between vocals and instrumentals. The elusive quality of the vocals is actually what draws attention to them. They seductively meander away from you the most you listen for them, so instead you're forced to accept the music as a whole. The way it was meant to be. Here's hoping it's not another 10 years til their next album.

Get a taste of Junip with the video for "Always":