With a keen ear and an ability to recognize and synthesize defining patterns, musicians can realistically recreate any style with a bit of fine-tuning, even if they’re across the globe from their sonic scene of choice. But to escalate regional emulation into innovation without tipping listeners off to your nationality? That takes a special breed.
So naturally, as a global hub for chart-topping pop, Sweden harbors plenty of creators that are well-versed in appetizing multicultural recipes. And while the boldest outputs (at least here in the states) can be traced to Max Martin, ABBA, Ace of Base, Yung Lean, Pete Björn and John, or the late great Avicii, we can’t overlook an extra tempting contemporary piece of Scandinavian taciturnity.
Harnessing a handle that perfectly channels their mysterious, secret-keeping character, Among Lynx and their style of North American roots rock sound like the perfect surrogate score for True Detective. The core duo of vocalist-guitarist-percussionist Eva-Mi Ringqvist and singer-harmonicist Elin Öberg first broke out in 2015 with Among Lynx’s eponymous debut EP and completed their evolution into a fully matured quintet with 2017’s Revolution and 2019’s Movement.
In a moment of kismet, last week I caught Ringvist and Öberg performing at Hole in the Wall ripping stripped-down renditions from the near-dozen set of dreary, desert-friendly originals off Among Lynx’s third full-length Once In A Blue Moon, which came out late February. Hole in the Wall proved to be an ideal environment for Among Lynx’s dusty, low-light drip; they were like a pair of semi-tamed hellcats effortlessly displaying their discipline for us Lone Star-fiending losers. All self deprecation aside, each phase of Blue Moon performed on the front stage really pounced on the Hole and Among Lynx’s proven cinematic potential. So if you’d like to turn your favorite dive bar into an awesomely melancholic acid Western, or just love Among Lynx’s mythically masterful take on America’s rustic roots, perhaps us Austinites can howl loud enough for the whole five-piece to return sometime after their ongoing tour back in Scandinavia. In the mean time, toss the telescope out and strap on the headphones for one of Blue Moon‘s brilliantly bleakest illuminations, “Lola Luna”.
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