The Swedish duo Degrees, hailing from Sweden’s darkest woods, is back after more than 10 years with a new album. Mikael Jakobsson (Svart Elefant, Animal Kix) and Rickard Folke (Boygirlme, L’obscurité, Blah!) recorded the songs of their fifth release “Pt. V” in 2012 but it was never finished until they decided in 2023 to finally release their last albu
With their love for captivating melodies and soft synths, Degrees continue where they left off; epic, poetic melancholy with reveling pop rhythms, enriched with a little drive from the early 80ies Synthpop and modern Shoegaze.
Tracklisting:
1. You Don’t Know What Love Is 05:37
2. Shake Shake Shake Shake 04:25
3. Dear Diary 06:10
4. Cloudy Night Like Tonight 04:22
5. Floods 04:58
6. Into The Sea 05:04
7. A Little to Well 03:33
8. Mellow Moon 06:06
9. Everywhere All the Time 07:18
All songs on “Pt. V” were written, recorded, mixed, and performed by Degrees 2012. The album was mastered at TS-Musix Studios, Leipzig (Germany) and is available at all major download stores, streaming services, and the band’s Bandcamp page.
Review – Degrees – Pt V
For many years the songs for “Pt. V” were unfinished in a drawer. But now the Swedish synth-pop duo returns after a good ten years and releases their last album. Nine songs have been brought out again by Mikael Jakobsson and Rickard Folke. I would say that the effort was worth it, because they were all really successful.
The first sounds of “You Don’t Know What Love Is” sound very softly. It starts with gentle tonal art on synthesizers and slowly increases with further sound facets. Gently starts a soft vocals and completes the song. A nice introduction, which makes the album seem calmer than it actually is.
After a good start, “Sake Sake Sake Sake Sake” gets to the point more energetically. A lively mid-tempo song with a very memorable melody, which makes you subtly move along.
For those who like it a bit more dreamy, “Florida” is highly recommended, because the song lives up to its title. Swelling up and down like the waves of the sea, the Synthesis pulls one into the song. In itself it is rather a quiet piece, perfect for dreaming of the coast on a summer day.
“A Mittle Top Wave” brings you back and makes you feel really good. It moves forward boldly with driving sound and casual lyrics. Although it is the shortest song on the album, I personally like it the best.
The guys really enjoyed the last song with a length of over seven minutes. A change between instrumental passages and those in which the vocals are the focus make the song an appealing mixture.
Degrees have given themselves an attractive conclusion with “Pt V”. The songs radiate a light-weight 80s charm that I really like. And although the songs are quite quiet in part, they never become voiceless, but give us a bit of relaxation in this already turbulent world.
written by Antje Heine
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/degreestranas
Bandcamp: https://degrees.bandcamp.com/album/pt-v
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/pt-v/1707805175
