Propelled by affecting piano and heartfelt strings, Are You Here? is a stirring new album from Swedish project Le Days, who also caught our ears in 2022 with the full-length Stuck In My Head. Continuing to tout the gripping songwriting of Daniel Hedin, his new album succeeds in its explorations of “the transformative feelings of identity, self-perception, shame and grief.”
“Life” opens the release with a haunting chill, as delicate piano moves into a somber string-laden feeling. The steadily escalating piano notes and weepy strings converge with replay-inducing impact. The ensuing “Grief” feels reflective of that emotion in its melancholic, more subdued piano and strings intertwining — while “Death” aptly continues that sense of foreboding with eerie piano clanging and swipes of strings. The album excels in displaying a wide range of emotions across the human experience, exemplary also on the creaking involvements within “Anxiety” and the plucky momentum within “Fear.” Are You Here? is an artful, moving success from Le Days.
