Änglabarn - Änglabarn

“Swedish Moodies” in search of the lost fjord

Not content with landing plum roles in the Swedish and Danish productions of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, the young Dan Tillberg went on to found Malmö-based psych-folk duo Änglabarn with Sven I Ohlsson in 1972. Their career together was, however, shorter than Peaches Geldof’s attention span: one album and one single, both released in 1973 and now compiled by the industrious bods behind Sweden’s Transubstans label.

Änglabarn owed a debt of inspiration to The Moody Blues – repaid by album closer Ur Drömmen, a creditably impassioned Swedish language version of Knights In White Satin. Even in appearance, the 20-year-old Tillberg had something of Justin Hayward about him (“hair carved out of solid butter”, to paraphrase Andy Partridge), though Tillberg was additionally blessed with razoredged glam rock cheekbones.

The Moodies influence is at its most pronounced on the stately I Skuggan Av Ditt Ljus, with real strings taking the strain instead of Mellotron, and the persuasively melancholic Tag Min Oro. Elsewhere, I Färger is an orgiastic wig-out with squalling lead guitar, while the somnolent, Hammond-led Morfar is beautifully reminiscent of Outlander-era Meic Stevens. Most charmingly, Dickt Och Vers finds Tillberg’s granny reciting her poetry. Beat that, Lieutenant Pigeon.

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

Transubstans | TRANS 016

Reviewed by Marco Rossi
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