Nils Lassen - Close Those Ocean Eyes

​Nils Lassen

Close Those Ocean Eyes
Aenaos records: 2024

3.9 out of 5

By Jamie Funk
​

Danish artist Nils Lassen, celebrated for his work as one half of the dreampop duo BlackieBlueBird, steps into new territory with "Close Those Ocean Eyes," a celestial preview of his forthcoming solo album. Lassen’s sonic exploration here feels both intimate and boundless, a reflection of his two-decade evolution as a musician.

The track opens with Lassen’s ethereal vocal mantra, “Close Those Ocean Eyes,” cloaked in cavernous reverb, setting the stage for an atmosphere steeped in cosmic melancholy. As the drums settle in and the verse unfolds, the song invokes a striking blend of Pink Floyd’s expansive psychedelia and Brian Eno’s meditative textures. The arrangement leans heavily into vast, reverb-soaked soundscapes, with the guitars shimmering like distant stars and Lassen’s voice hovering like a ghostly narrator in a dream.

The chorus, where the track ascends to a higher plane, is its gravitational center. It doesn’t simply evoke the awe of cosmic immensity—it embodies it. Lassen resists the urge to overreach, staying rooted in a contemplative, cerebral headspace that reverently nods to Pink Floyd’s ability to channel wonder without excess.

"Close Those Ocean Eyes" is a lush, introspective offering that understands its purpose and delivers on it. While it doesn’t chart new territory in its influences, it’s a meticulously crafted song that knows the weight of its sonic ambitions and achieves a singular moment of transcendence.

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