RATKING, the new album from Brimheim explores shame, self-deception, and tragic love

RATKING has arrived! Listen to it here and grab the vinyl from our store here.

With RATKING, the Danish-Faroese artist, Brimheim, takes another evolutionary step. Harnessing the vulnerability of her critically acclaimed debut album, Brimheim brings a bolder, more self-assured attitude to RATKING. Grand melodies in hand-played arrangements explore a wide range of emotions, showcasing a complexity that few artists master. In select moments an electronic detail adds a subtle nuance to a song, but occasionally the synthesizer is allowed to fully eclipse the guitar. It's sophisticated, relevant, and devilishly catchy. Some songs resonate with the intimacy of seldom-read diary entries while others echo the bravado of a 1970s television hero soaring overhead in a Cessna. Above all, it's Brimheim's vocals that hold the power to truly captivate. Like a force of nature, her voice glides seamlessly from majestic to intimate, from cryptic to something you can't help but sing along to — with a distinct melancholic undercurrent throughout.

Surprises of intensity await at every turn. Tender ballads crossfade into raging rock, and frenzied violins give way to infectious avant-pop. On RATKING, Brimheim, the alias of Helena Heinesen Rebensdorff, finds a new and unique equilibrium between complexity, depth and approachability.

Like her debut, the new record was produced and written in collaboration with Søren Buhl Lassen (Blaue Blume, Lucky Lo) with compositional contributions from Buster Jensen (Blaue Blume).

"I wrote this album as a way to understand the intense emotional pain of my youth. For a long time, I sought validation as a way to cope. RATKING is about using other people’s approval as a substitute for self-worth and my journey of concealing, denying, and ultimately liberating myself from that dependency.”

Songs, 'Dancing in the Rubble,' 'Into The Ooze,' and 'Brand New Woman' explore the fierce desire to escape the conventional expectations imposed on women. 'Grinding Boulders' and 'Fell Through the Ice' depict dysfunctional relationships where Brimheim wrestles to rein in her more desperate inclinations. 'Normies' captures the overwhelming nature of a passion so strong it leads to obsession."