Dungen & Woods
Dungen & Woods

The Dungen are a Swedish psychedelic band with several albums to their name: the group has been active since 2001 and has eight albums behind them, all of good quality. They are characterized by singing in Swedish and by melancholic and dreamy atmospheres. Among their ranks is Reine Fiske, the guitarist from the great Landberk, a leading band in the Swedish new-prog revival along with Anglagard and Anekdoten. The Woods, on the other hand, are an American folk-rock band from Brooklyn, also with a substantial discography. Now, a surprising collaboration emerges between the bands in the Myths series under the auspices of Mexican Summer, simply entitled "Dungen & Woods". The union of forces has produced an excellent result that showcases the qualities of both. "Turn Around" is a folk-rock ballad more typical of the Woods' style, featuring their singer Jeremy Earl, yet we can still appreciate the splendid lysergic solos by Reine Fiske. Conversely, "Jag Ville Va Kvar" is a typical Dungen-style track with Swedish singing and the soft, psychedelic settings not far from the prog of the latter. However, the peak of this album, in my opinion, is represented by the instrumental tracks. In particular, "Marfa Sunset" is a small masterpiece that manages to evoke the hypnotic and timeless atmosphere of boundless deserts: the music progresses slowly, with a beautiful pulsing bass accompanied by the vibraphone, evocative flute, and guitar echoes: the whole sounds very expansive and close to the visionary Pink Floyd of "A Saucerful Of Secrets". The next track, "Morning Myth," is also very beautiful, where the interplay between the musicians is perfect in immersing the listener in another dimension of time and space. Overall, "Dungen & Woods" has no weak moments and reveals a very interesting experiment. The closure, entrusted to "Just For The Taste," is calm and gently psychedelic. Highly recommended to fans of these groups, but also to those who have yet to discover them. Available on vinyl and digital version on Bandcamp: https://mexicansummer.bandcamp.com/album/myths-003.