Darling West release their new album, While I Was Asleep, through Jansen Records. Darling West are Mari Sandvær Kreken (vocals, mandolin, acoustic guitar, harmonica, dulcimer) Tor Egil Kreken (vocals, banjo) and Kjetil Steensnæs (vocals, guitar)...

While I Was Asleep showcases Darling West's Americana / Country / Folk style. Written across borders – penned in Brooklyn USA and finished in Norway’s Ål mountains – the album's title track is a song that captures vocalist Mari Sandvær Kreken’s sensitivity to a pop melody, as she marries a sense of sadness and melancholia with her driving, propulsive, and heart-felt delivery.

It's one of those rare releases that you'll find much to enjoy on the first play through... and the more you play it, the more you'll take from it.

This is an album for road trips, for warm, lazy summer evenings. This could be the soundtrack to your summer. It's an LP for fans of laid back, beautifully composed melodies and dreamy vocals.

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Nick Smithson