First expecting a Danish band, I was quite surprised that Ulvesang (Danish for Wolves Song) are apparently from Canada. After a self-titled debut album in 2015, the band has moved on to Nordvis for its successor, called “The Hunt”. Alex Boyd and Ana Dujakovic are also a duo now, Laura Marr no longer being part of the band. While such changes could potentially have major impact, Ulvesang still sounds like Ulvesang and once again impresses with amazing artwork to make people curious about their music.

Of course, the main question is if the music is worthy of that curiosity. I must admit that this is a double-edged sword with Ulvesang. The band’s approach to acoustic neofolk is interesting enough in itself, giving a feeling of harmony with nature, as well as a great sense of longing. Sometimes I’m even reminded of the more introspective songs of Empyrium.

However, the album is mostly instrumental, except for one song (“The Truth”), which is a daring choice in a genre that’s not known for its fierce dynamics. As a result, “The Hunt” delivers rather beautiful music, but ends up being repetitive and unfulfilling. More vocal parts would surely help here, as well as adding some more variation in the compositions. So, while I appreciate Ulvesang’s musical talents and “The Hunt” is quite nice as background music when I’m tired, I’m afraid that it is not album that I will be enjoying on a regular basis.

(6/10 Lykle Thijssen)

https://www.facebook.com/ulvesang

https://ulvesang.bandcamp.com/album/the-hunt