Elephant Moon – Good Medicine (2025)
Blending the intimacy of folk with the vibrance of indie-rock and a shimmering veil of synth-driven allusions, singer-songwriter Anders Dal offers audiences a brand of indie-folk with his solo project Elephant Moon. With only two singles to his name – one of which we will be reviewing here – the Denmark-based musician is a newbie in the shark pool of veteran musicians; however, this is the silvery minnow you can’t help but follow as he darts about. Join us as we delve into his sophomore single, ‘Good Medicine’.
Following the debut single, ‘Where Were You’, ‘Good Medicine’ retains what might develop into an obscure folk-tinged sound; however, it diverges from the atmospheric, almost cinematic soundscape heard in ‘Where Were You’. Stepping from the dreamlike layering of lap steel and analogue synths, ‘Good Medicine’ is brasher, more abrupt, and grittier with acoustic guitars, haunting violins and a bold bass peeping from the background.
Recorded and produced by Nicolai Schmith, with David Villanueva (mixing) and Antony Ryan (mastering), there is a hypnotic quality to the arrangement. A strange sense of soothing where you find yourself carried off on a glistening sonic river. Then again, while one side of the coin is languid, this is held within a somewhat tumultuous, off-kilter and vulnerable melody. Barbara Bartz’s violin has an intriguing “up the ante” flavour, but also dances across your skin with chilling creepiness. David Villanueva’s bass represents the imps peeping from the riverbed, while Dal’s finger-picking and rough vocals prompt an off-kilter slide across the track.
Touching on relatable and resonating issues of burnout, but with an optimistic layer of healing and “simply sitting in the sun”, ‘Good Medicine’ is just that when it comes to lyrics and concepts – good medicine for the soul. Not for everyone, it has a bit of a disconcerting quality; however, it’s also a perfect expression of challenges smoothed out into an interesting melody. For me, this is the song you need to break the monotony of mainstream music and the crassness of reality.
In addition to the single, Elephant Moon released an official music video for ‘Good Medicine’. You can view the video below and/or on his YouTube channel. Please note that this video uses lighting effects that can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
Find out more about Elephant Moon on his official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Listen to more indie-folk music on The Other Side Reviews Indie Folk playlist:
