Reviews - Briefly
Here you find extracts from our reviews. You find the complete reviews under each release.
About An Introduction to Us and Them
"Many of these are long sold out so this is great place to get acquainted with their oeuvre." "Britt Rönnholm has a voice to die for and it is fair to say that if you like Sandy Denny then you will like Britt" (Terrascope)
You cannot go wrong with Us and Them, just let their music envelope you in its warm soothing textures as it chases the nightmares away. (Exposé online)
"An Introduction To" by Us And Them is full of easy-to-hear quiet slightly psychedelic folk songs, which I enjoyed from start to finish and I highly recommend this disc to any lover of this genre." (Carrys new underground music)
About ...and I observed the blue sky
"Childlike xylophone thinklings and soaring synts carry "Fogwalking" into a mist of magical lands of wonder and imagination. 5 out of 5 (Shindig magazine)
"Delicate songs, catchy melodies, and wistful visions. Quite a remarkable new album and a great place for new listeners to become familiar with this wonderful band" (Exposé online)
"The production is crystal clear and superb, so this is an amazing and
very enjoyable album in all aspects. Warmly recommended for chilly Autumn
evenings sitting by your fire place." (Astral zone)
"11 dreamy acid-folkie songs with great storytelling, warm and beautiful female vocals" (Time machine productions)
"A truly commendable and shrewd arrangement and writing work that indissolubly marks the succes of the album. A record to listen to in particular moment, on the making of the sunset, with the leaves of the trees that move slowly, pushed by a gust of wind called to make embroidery at the end of another day (Roots!)
This is a fantastic album which I like from the beginning to the end and I recommend it higly. 4 out of 5 (translated from dutch ). (Carry news underground)
About Summer green and autumn brown
"The myriad influences and reference points combine to beautiful effect on the lengthy and mysterious 'From The Inside Looking Out' before the repeated refrain "stay a while, stay for summer, stay for good" on the dreamy 'Insight' locks us into some perpetual season of indolence and mellow fruitfulness. 4 out of 5" (Shindig Magazine)
"This truly is a top-class album, which perfectly combines mellow psych-folk and retro electronica in a way that really works." (Blissaquamarine)
"This album is excellent, incl. ten songs, ten magical elegies, ten dreamy moments." (GewGaw fanzine)
"and Rönnholm's is the voice that sings above the sounds of nature, the witch who croons as she stirs the cauldron; the music you wish you'd learn to hum as you read the brothers Grimm in your childhood." (Goldmine Magazine)"This is a wonderful album that is highly recommended for fans who like edgy, folk-influenced music with deep roots in the past." (The Active listener)
"Summer Green And Autumn Green' is a Pandora's Box of emotions - sometimes things may not be right, but there's always hope." (Heyday)
"If you are to buy one folk album this year then it should be this one." (Days of Purple and orange)
"new platter 'summer green and autumn brown' is quite something else and ought to elevate them to the echelons of psych folk's top table" (The Sunday experience)
"There is a tradition of melodic, albeit often melancholy songs in Scandinavia, and this band follow that tradition in their own way." (Terrascope)
"Us and Them create some of the most beautifully delicate and pastoral Folk based Psychedelia I've ever Heard." (Aural innovations)
"This is a stunning Acid Folk record and we can't recommend it enough.............turn on, tune in........bliss out." (The psychedelicatessen blogspot)
"If the promise of a delightfully dinked festooning of pastoral posies make your heart skip just a little faster, then may we gently guide you in the general direction of something simply enchanting about to break cover from its shy hideaway via mega dodo records." (Mark Losing today)
About On Shipless ocean
"On Shipless Ocean is Us and Them's strongest and most confident release to date." (Harmonic distortions).
"Ultimately, this is quietly vivid music that weighs heavily like the seasons; it's music that reflects memories of the past; it's big and cosmic, yet it is music that always manages to land lightly with the simplicity of a few beautiful notes." (Soudnblab.com)
'' On Shipless Ocean' opens with 'The Trees and the Sky Above' and it's unlikely you will hear a more beautiful song this year.'' ''It's Britt at her most bewitching vocally and features a gentle melody that is simply gorgeous. ''On Shipless Ocean' contains some of Us and Them's most fascinating and rewarding work to date and comes highly recommended.'' (Pennyblack music)
'A wonderful album from start to finish, packed full of soothing and heartwarming songs. Whilst undeniably a psych-folk band, Us and Them take the genre to new places with their considerable creativity.'' (Bliss/aquamarine)
'and you'll think twice before referring to them as psych-folk again. They're far more perfect than that.'' (Goldmine magazine)
'' The actual 7″ has just two beautiful, emotional songs ''(Dj astro)
"Their music is quite simply some of the most beautiful I've heard.'' (HeyDay)
"Oh, these vocals! This voice! Britt's voice combines and simultaneously emerges Nico's melancholy, Marianne Faithfull's fragileness, Sandy Denny's crystalline structure and Jacqui McShee's warmness!!!'' (Timemachine)
"The album is packed with some of the most drop dead gorgeous songs you are going to hear this year." (The Psychedelicatessen)
About Fading within the dwindling sun
"Swedish folk-rockers Us And Them pull off a label peak with a ten-inch album covering five Sandy Denny songs. Backed by Anders' crystal backdrops and Tony Swettenham's Mellotron, singer Britt wins over this daunting challenge by perfectly capturing the late singer's pure unearthly beauty on haunting versions of Winter Winds and Farewell, Farewell. " (Prog Magazine)
"When you consider the wealth of releases and the names who've graced the label - the pretty things, soft hearted scientists, beau, vibravoid, the chemistry set et al, as impeccable and illustrious the FdM back catalogue is, this might just well be the finest thing they've put out to date." (Sunday experience)
"The Swedes follow up their EP of covers with a 7 inch of two original songs that deservedly nestle alongside the Denny classics." (The Strange brew)
"Fading With The dwindling Sun" of Us And Them contains 5 wonderful peaceful folk-pop songs that fans of Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny and folk in general, especially in value will appreciate and I can also highly recommend them, even go listen to this superb disc." (New underground Music)
"Mellotron and strings add to the atmosphere, trepidation and doomed determination enfolding the lyric as they draw the listener ever deeper into the unfolding story.Which is all that these songs have ever asked of either performer or audience. Is this Fruits de Mer's finest ever release? It's certainly one of them." (Goldmine Magazine)
"The band are to be congratulated for their thoughtfulness in the arrangements. I love everything this band have put out." (A box of Dreams)
"There's something about this Scandinavian duo that evokes feelings of reflection in me. Not sadness though, I come out of it overwhelmed by the beauty. One day I'll be better able to put it into words, but for now, let's just say I love their music." (HeyDay)
About "Julia Dream of all the pretty little horses "
"These Swedes get to the rustic nub of their source material with a fine dispatch of forest fermented versions. Fruits de Mer's finest yet, no question." (Record Collector)
"Haunting three tracker with an intriguing seven minute amalgam of lullaby All the pretty little horses and a song that borrowed its tune, Pink Floyd's Julia dream." (Mojo)
"This is a very special three track single, a play again and again and again piece of treasure that you really should check out." (organart.com)
"Beautiful, intimate wintry folk" (icecream for quo)
"Us & Them make beautiful music, and it's possibly the best Fruits de Mer release yet ! Gentle / dreamy female vocals, sparse musical backing...It's almost perfection! Forget about everything for a while and lose yourself in this! Excellent fragile acoustic psych" (Heyday)
"Sheer brilliance, and opulent in their delivery, effervesance illuminating an otherwise bleak path. Happy/sad, familiar in a "womb" sort of way. Us and Them......no contest, a true winner." (Adventures In Plasticland)
"The merging of 'Julia Dream' and 'All The Pretty Little Horses' for the elongated opening track is conceptual genius married to perfect artistic dexterity." (Dandelion Radio)
About Summerisle
''This EP weaves much the same quizzical spell as the film itself, and, particularly in the case of 'Willow's Song', actually out-lovelies the original version. Britt's vocal on this version of 'Willow's song' would have you chowing your way through that bedroom wall with your bare teeth.'' (Shindig ! magazine)
''The mood just couldn't get any better than this. As one of the best releases in 2011 Sumerisle will be a really collectable EP and even though it was just released this week it's already sold out but you might be able to find a copy someplace.'' (Psychotropic zone)
''It must have been an impossible task to reproduce the brilliance of Giovanni's original acid-folk songs but Us & Them really capture the macabre sounds and eerie mood of them all. The perfect musicianship and the addition of mellotron and dulcimer into the mix create brilliant new interpretations''. (Flower bombsongs)
''The atmosphere is subtle, moody and with the arrangements this convinces listening to it several times, it is very exciting to expect a full album some day ! '' (Psycedelicfolk.com)
''The results are lush, dreamy and quite beautiful.'' (Waistdas.co.uk)
''Us & Them have managed to stay pretty faithful to the original and still added their unique style as well.'' (therocktologist.com)
All in all, the delicately crafted Summerisle EP doesn't disappoint and is an essential purchase for any fans of acid/psych folk. (Strange brew podcast)
About When I was walking
"When I was walking' and 'green couch' the former of which is a beautifully beguiled spectral mysterio that loosely orbits the dark seduction of the Stones' 'playing with fire" (sunday experience)
"Beautiful, Timeless and utterly bewitching. If the winter winds don't give you icy chills, this will. This harkens back to the classic days of acid folk and if you miss this you deserve a one way trip to Summer Isle for May Day Celebrations as their guest of honour." (a box of Dreams)
''When I Was Walking' is gorgeous Wicker-esque acid folk, with the introspective b-side 'Green Couch' more straight ahead pop-folk but no less enchanting." (The strange brew)
About By the time it gets dark
"A new EP from Us and Them means three new slices of magical melancholy, cunningly disguised among the loveliest sounds you'll hear this year." (Goldmine Magazine)
" A voice with the presence of a lover's breath on your neck sings Sandy Denny without sounding like her, but every bit as personal." (Record collector)
"A brilliant piece of music in this rendition. Impressive." (House of prog)
"Amazing stuff that is perfect for lighting up a dark morning. You just can't feel bad after hearing this song". (Psychotropiczone)
"And Britt's vocals are simply beautiful; we're talking melted hearts and minds." (Aural-innovations)
"Absolutely beguiling and charming" (A box of Dreams)
"Us and Them continue to quietly dazzle the listener following a number of excellent releases" (Strange brew)
"Simply adoring three track slice of charm pop from FdM old masters Us and Them." (Mark losing today)
"Slightly terrfying, deeply alluring". (Record collector)
About Walk light
"I now no longer see Us & Them as purveyors of some of the most wondrous cover versions I've ever heard, but as some of the most wondrous songs I've ever heard." (Unwashed territories)
"This is another wonderful EP of this band and Oblivion is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in the last few years." (Psychedelicfolk.com)
"But just like people who are reserved and shy at first and really come out of their shell and shine once you get to know them, so it is with this EP. Doom and gloom at first glance, but very warm and deep in essence." (therocktologist.com)
"It's a soft and delicate music that rests like a mist on the grass." (JerryLucky.com)