Tissø Lake’s Song Of The Black Dog is the kind of record you’d make in a house you’ve just moved out of. The rooms are totally bare, the acoustics are impeccable, and the only thing you’ve got in there are some microphones and the surrounding memories. You’d probably be in a really tender and reflective mood, and heck… you might even call some buddies to come and record with you.

Now, I don’t know if that’s how Ian Humberstone went about making the newest Tissø Lake platter, but I wouldn’t be surprised. The music is spare for sure, but each instrument used on the LP is only approached when there’s a definite need for it. The predominant sounds come from softly fingerpicked acoustic guitars, but each gentle piano wash is perfectly placed, every drumbeat carefully hit as not to impede on the overall feel. Occasionally an accordian or singing saw drops by for atmosphere, but nothing feels premeditated here. The tracks feel natural enough to all be perfect first takes.

I can’t possibly recommend this gentle album highly enough to you, and I implore you to pick up the vinyl edition if you can. Even though the first side is dreamy enough to lull you to sleep, you get a quick minute-long snapshot of an accordian stomp to open the second half, but really… I can’t explain the album any better than Humberstone does lyrically in the closing “Heath Fire & Waltz”"

“This is why we made it / Originally / Not for a club / Or for groups of more than twenty”.

Perfectly intimate and wonderful. I can’t recommend this album highly enough.

Tisso Lake - The House By The River.mp3

Hear more Tisso Lake at their MySpace page.
Order Song Of The Black Dog from Mathilde like… now.