Album Review: Tuvaband – New Orders

Tuvaband, brainchild of Norwegian songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Tuva Hellum Marschhäuser has already had her fair share of accolades, including a Norwegian Grammy nomination and a back catalog which has already learnt her other 40 million cumulative streams on Spotify alone. Now back with the etherial, dreamy and at times stunningly beautiful new album New Orders, Tuvaband once solidifies her places as an exciting artist with creative ideas for days.

Opening with the sparkling full band sound of ‘Rejuvante’, Tuvaband quickly introduces the reverb drenched atmospherics and shoegaze-come-dream-pop sound present across the album. Beautiful, siren like guitars swell around the soundscape as grounding bass and drums give the track pulse and Tuvaband’s silky, breathy lead vocals gently delivers catchy melodies and heartfelt lyricism. As the track reaches the later stages, the pace picks up gaining a deriving energy as pitch shifted guitar notes and subtle electronics dance around the soundscape. A stunning opener setting the dark and emotive, yet optimistic tone present across the record.

‘Something Good’ takes a more atmospheric-pop approach with dancing electronics, synths and piano under Tuva’s ever angelic, effortlessly captivating, reverb soaked lead vocal. Leaning further into her unwavering optimism, the track contrasts its slow pace and etherial production with upbeat melodies surrounded by a wash of shiver inducing overlapping tones. Tuva’s songwriting is perfectly balanced here, not relying on trying to be edgy with her lyricism and delivery, just simply delivering honest heartfelt performances and creating something uber cool just by the virtue of the otherworldy sounds she chooses and musical ideas she has.

Elsewhere on the album, ‘Full Bloom’ once again demonstrates Tuva’s ability to create catchy, memorable melodies whilst also retaining the shoegazey, reverberating, atmospheric, emotional depth she’s known for. ‘Karma Is A Beach’ captures a more gentle, acoustic guitar led soundscape whilst massive reverbs and delays dance around Tuva’s emotive, at times, tongue-in-cheek humours lyricism before reaching an utterly overwhelming musical break with stunning overlapping melodies and delayed vocal tones.

‘By the time you hear this’ showcases some of the more tender elements of Tuvaband’s sound – warming piano, gently swaying drums, pulsing live bass and subtle twinkling electronic electronics capturing a raw emotive tone, like Tuva is developing the repetitive loop of thought circling around her head.

In the latter stage of the album, ‘New Orders’ encapsulates the dream-pop elements of Tuva’s sound with modulated synths, layers of guitars, a lazy beat and grounding bass – beautiful, raw and organic. Setting the tone for the finally with the break ‘Breathe In’, ‘Breathe Out’, the albums finale ends on a fittingly dark and mysterious tone, swelling with atmosphere and intensity.

A brilliant album of beauty, expression, restraint, and atmospherics, ‘New Orders’ feels like stepping into another world as a sea of delay and reverb wash around you and Tuva’s angelic voice pieces through the noise to show you the way. This isn’t going to be the listen for everyone, its stylistically build to be a otherworldly, intoxicating experience, and that’s to it’s credit. Every track offers it’s own capsule to Tuvaband’s unique shoe gaze-come-atmospheric-indie-dream-pop realm.

Daughter are one of my all time favourite bands, so this is a big compliment – listening to this album reminds me of the first time I sat (and tried not to cry) listening to Not To Disappear. Please, please, please listen below.