Dobbeltgjenger – Master Of Failure

Apollon Records, 14.02.2025

What a name for an album – the question is: are we talking about mastering failure (and thus getting over it) or being a master of failure (aka failing a lot)? At least the answer is clear when you´re listening to the album, because these twelve songs are everything but a fail. The Norwegian band has managed to create an album that touches you when listening to it, that has songs that go straight to your heart – in a maybe thoughtful but also motivating and clearly very open way.

I personally really like it when bands choose topics that affects so many people of nowaday´s society – may it be depression, addictions, generally mental health or whatever else might be a topic that is not supposed to be spoken about even though exactly these topics are the ones we need to be putting out into the light.

The album´s start and its end, “Master of Failure” are to be seen as one – because they´re not only carrying the album´s title as a song name, but also are Part I and II. Already the musical side of the two tracks really gives a good glimpse into the album – melodic, always with a touch of rock and a tad edgy, and a really good vocal performance. Whilst part I is fully thoughtful and gives you a feel of hopelessness, part II is adding something to the scene – and that´s power, it´s musically and lyrically giving you power, the will to break out of whatever has been dragging you down, the will to talk about what´s going on. And that´s also pretty much why “Master of Failure (Part II)” is clearly  THE song off this album that I would recommend everyone to listen to.

It continues just as melodic with “Weatherman” – the song has  a clear focus on vocals, whilst the music remains in the background, nicely playing around the lyrics. Many little details musically make the tarck worth listening to, and also the overall vibe really gives you this touch of gloomy. Like you were sitting outside and you could feel that something was changing (to worse) but you cannot grab it. Quite matching to the song title “Weatherman” and its lyrics – of course, to be interpreted in a metaphoric way and not literally as weather. A bit of this gloomy feel can also be found with “Growing is too dull” – the vocals somehow feel fragile, soft, only quietly accomodated by the instruments. It´s pure, it´s honest, it´s raw, and it goes right into the heart with its honest lyrics.

“Isolation” comes across with an interesting style of vocals that clearly stand out from the rest of the songs of the album – clearly a track to remember from the vocals and the groovy sound it coms with. And whilst we were all deep down in gloominess with “Weatherman”, this track gives the listener a lighter feeling which is contradictionary to title and lyrics…but sometimes it´s exactly this is what a track needs.

If you mix the groovy sound with the previous gloominess, the result is probably “Credit Card” – the lyrics deal with a probably quite toxic relationship, “I’m just a credit card for you”, and does so in a very honest and clear way. Definitely not a song where I would say: it’s musically well-rounded. But it doesn’t have to be, because it’s worth listening to precisely because it’s not and because it has so many rough edges.

Less melancholic, but again showing the edgy side of the band, is what  “Ticket to the boogieman” and “Chameleon Life” have to offer – whilst the first mentioned one is nearly funky and very egdy with it´s pushy vocals (I am sure, this one is working really well as a track in a live setting, too), and the latter one is something that could be played on the radio and would be still very well sticking to people´s minds.

With “F.M.L.” the band created a song that at least for me is sticking to my mind like it has been stuck there with power-glue. No chance of getting rid off it ever again – the catchy, but still not average, beat and melody and the nasal sounding vocals. The lyrics also do the rest, as they´re maybe not going as deep as with other songs, but they server their purpose and are catchy and make you nearly sing along. Same but different is “Right now I feel alright” for me – a totally different soundscape compared to “F.M.L.” with an instrumentally fuller sound accompanying the lyrics, but especially those lyrics burn yourself into your memory and come to stay. The difficulty with those songs is that you still should be paying close attention to the words and their meaning – it all sounds so light and you just tag along with it, but: believe me, there is more to it – like how incredible it can be if, after a long time, you can finally embrace and enjoy the good moments! A clear feelgood track!

Talking about catchy, “Good-looking human on the other side of the road” is also one of those tracks that with the first spin make you just groove along, and then they make you stop and return to start. Why? Because the nicely wrapped lyrics are less clear in their meaning and need you to use your imagination and to read between the actual lines. Downside of this track unfortunately is that after the first half the song seems to be neverending – musical themes are being repeated, and the melody loses quite a bit of the power to keep you attentively listening.

The conclusion? It´s an incredibly good album that scores with the vast diversity of sound and vocals, the honesty in the lyrics is incredible and at least spoke fully to me. Give this album a spin, and then a second one – I can promise you, you´ll find new facets with each spin. And listen closely, the words chosen deserve it.