Review: Ulver – Neverland
Ulver’s “Neverland” is a labyrinth of sound where the boundaries between electronic experimentation, ambient textures, and melancholic introspection blur into something both haunting and hypnotic. This fourteenth studio effort from the Norwegian avant-garde collective is a record that feels like a spiritual rebirth, a bold step into uncharted territory that’s as much about mourning the past as it is about embracing the unknown. The absence of Kristoffer Rygg’s vocals – which so central to Ulver’s identity – is keenly felt, but the band’s decision to craft a largely instrumental album is a masterstroke, allowing the music’s atmospheric depth and intricate sound design to take center stage. Songs like “Fear in a Handful of Dust” and “Elephant Trunk” are masterclasses in mood, their layers of pulsating electronics, eerie samples, and organic instrumentation creating a soundscape that’s as disorienting as it is captivating. The album’s production is immaculate, with every beat, every synth swell, and every fragmented vocal snippet placed with surgical precision, lending the record a claustrophobic yet expansive quality that’s quintessentially Ulver.
“Neverland” occasionally stumbles under the weight of its own ambition, though. The album’s fragmented, collage-like structure can feel disjointed at times, with some tracks struggling to maintain the same level of cohesion as the record’s high points. The absence of Tore Ylwizaker, the band’s longtime keyboardist who passed away in 2024, looms large over the album, and there are moments where the record’s emotional core feels just a touch too buried beneath its layers of abstraction. But these are minor quibbles in the face of what is, ultimately, a deeply rewarding and often breathtaking listen.
The closing stretch of the album, particularly the sprawling “Pandora’s Box” and the haunting “Quivers in the Marrow,” proves that Ulver are still masters of their craft, capable of crafting music that’s as intellectually engaging as it is emotionally resonant. “Neverland” is an album that demands and rewards patience, revealing new layers and nuances with each listen. It’s a record that feels like both an elegy and a new beginning, a testament to Ulver’s enduring ability to reinvent themselves while staying true to the core of what makes their music so compelling.
