ML Buch’s ‘Suntub’ Continues to Resonate with Critics and Fans
Danish musician ML Buch’s second studio album, Suntub, released in October 2023, continues to garner acclaim for its unique blend of art rock, soft rock, and avant-pop. The album, a deeply personal project five years in the making, marks a shift in Buch’s sound and lyrical themes.
A Five-Year Journey to ‘Suntub’
Suntub was largely a solo endeavor for Buch, who self-produced and played all instruments, with the exception of some drum recordings. According to Wikipedia, Buch intentionally immersed herself in a solitary environment – the countryside by the ocean – for three years during the album’s creation, stating she “require[ed] to be on [her] own to make this music.” The album’s creation process was unconventional, with Buch recording vocals in her car and re-amping her guitar through her car stereo, as well as utilizing unique locations like a swimming pool, sauna, and changing room.
Musical and Lyrical Evolution
While her debut album, Skinned (2020), explored themes of technology and modern life, Suntub delves into more abstract and corporeal concepts. Pitchfork’s review highlights a focus on “onomatopoeic words, ‘strange curves,’ elemental forms like sun and sea and wind.” The album replaces electronic elements with “sparkling guitars, frictionless rock drumming, and vocal melodies rendered with airbrushed clarity.” Lyrically, Buch explores themes of biology and the human body, as evidenced in lines like “Can I melt in algal bloom/Leak from bladder flower wombs” from the song “Solid.”
Critical Reception and Recognition
Suntub has been widely praised by critics. Pitchfork awarded the album an 8.0/10, describing it as a “glossy” operate that hints at deeper, more cryptic meanings. The album appeared on several “best of 2023” lists, including those compiled by Wired, Substantial Love Records (JP), and Rough Trade. It was also named the thirteenth best album of the 2020s so far by Pitchfork.
Track Listing
Suntub consists of fifteen tracks:
- Pan over the hill
- Whoosh
- Flames shards goo
- Somewhere
- High speed calm air tonight
- Fleshless hand
- Slide
- Clearing
- Well bucket
- Big sun
- Solid
- Dust beam
- River mouth
- Mirror bridge
- Working it out
Availability
Suntub is available for streaming and download via Bandcamp in digital formats including MP3 and FLAC, with a 24-bit/44.1kHz option. A double vinyl repress of the album is also available with a gatefold sleeve.