Nicolai Dunger

Swedish soccer player and chart topping songwriter Nicolai Dunger travelled to farm country Kentucky to work with indie stalwart Will Oldham (Palace Music, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy) for his sixth album. Oldham brings an American Southern charm to the album, but judging by Dunger's songs, the Swede soaked up enough of Uncle Sam's countryside and music to enable legitimate comparisons to Ryan Adams and Neil Young on his own. "Hey Mama," "Last Night I Dreamt of Mississippi" and "Me, Ray and JR" especially share an alt-country aesthetic with these artists, but Dunger does his best to create an original song cycle just the same.