Malmö, Sweden is where we find our fearless troubadour Old Lost John, the moniker under which singer/guitarist Tomas Thunberg resides. His new full-length release, Faceless, is rife with the creepiness found in old photographs and campfire-side, Canterbury-style folk tales, which he delivers in a wispy, Bonnie “Prince” Billy rasp.

The new breath of archaic wonderment that is Faceless begins with the finger-picked guitar, trombone and female vocal harmonies of “Broken,” a dark midnight woods saga that'd would feel equally comfortable playing in the midst of a friendly gathering."Fairies And Fools” snaps it’s way through your ears and is lightly brushed with an Irving-style Sleepy Hollow promenade. I feel like the guests of this party are all watching each other out of the corners of their eyes, plotting each others' demise. Moving on through harsh territories, we’re met with the shining sun of the upbeat “Come Saturday.” This true love is as blind as Thunberg states. A meeting of two people, and one must wait for those precious words of reassurance from the other. By the end of this three-minute jaunt, the listener doesn't get an answer about what Saturday had in store for our poor protagonist, but Saturday could possibly be a larger representation of want, need, loss and hope.

“Tremble” opens with a brief death march accordion. Thunberg seems to gasp through the words, “I tremble every time I hear your name.” It's the feeling of being overcome with sheer sadness as rustic creaks coast and intertwine their way through this desolate song. Start your head nodding and your foot tapping as you roll into “She Won’t Listen.” We find another contradictory tale here, one being the subject matter coupled with the swinging style of Old Lost John. The first words immediately bring you to the depths: “Desire is like a loaded gun.” She’s fallen so far out of love that she doesn’t even like him anymore.

This article appears in Mar 17-23, 2010.