One of the most worn out sayings in the history of music is the concept of «the difficult second album». Especially when you have made a grand debut, like Daniel Kvammen made with «Fremad i alle retninga» in 2015. The album was nominated to three Norwegian Grammys, the single «Du fortenar ein som meg» was one of the most played songs on the radio channel NRK P3, and Kvammen’s journey from the ski lift at Geilo to glossy magazine pages and big TV appearances quickly became a genuine, modern music fairytale.

But when you start playing «Vektlaus» it’s soon evident that Kvammen is an artist who enjoys having a knife to his throat. With the help of famous musicians and his producer Even Ormestad, the man from Geilo has carved out an astoundingly vital album that bubbles with melodies, big emotions and a reckless delight in conveying music.

The sound is a lot more synth-driven and modern than on the debut album, but thematically, Kvammen’s lyrics on «Vektlaus» are centered around the eternal topic. Love, and specifically the loss of it, permeates the nine songs that constitute the record. With a commendable openness, the different stages of a breakup is portrayed, and our thoughts go to classic breakup albums like Springsteen’s «Tunnel Of Love» and Dylan’s «Blood On The Tracks».

But there’s light even in the deepest darkness, and in the album’s epic final song, «Det beste ventar fortsatt», Daniel rises from the ashes and the chaos, and establishes that:

Universet det er stort
Og me er så små me to
Men har du tenkt på kor befriande det er at det er uendeleg
Og av alt ditt auge ser
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