Fieh's dazzlingly sophisticated Scandi soul shows hidden depths on In the Sun in the Rain

Their first album Cold Water Burning Skin, with slyly syncopated single "Glu" stylishly waging war against the patriarchy, demonstrated firstly that it hasn’t and then politely but firmly showed why even the suggestion is nonsensical.

As persuasive as that debut was, In the Sun In the Rain indicates the sophomore slump wasn’t something keeping Fieh tossing and turning at night.

The opening title track is a clear statement of intent. Following an intro that keeps you guessing we switch to sweeping strings suggesting a hint of unease as the geo-political situation is acknowledged with dry lyrical wit before tempos shift. As throughout the album, lead singer Sophie Tollefsbøl’s unshowy honeyed tones are used to deliver the odd razor sharp barb. Clearly this is a band with the ability to engage the body and the brain, which may account for the Steely Dan references cropping up in previous reviews, but perhaps Erykah Badu is a better guide to Fieh’s genre-scorning approach to making music.

The result is a bewitchingly elegant brew that uses jazzy neo-soul as a stepping off point rather than a final destination, touching on a wide array of very appealing influences from hip-hop to yacht rock, but managing not to get pinned down as simply retro. Fieh make it all seem as natural as breathing, the result is a fluid musicality that handles danceability as deftly as graceful beauty.

Take “Grendehus Funkadelic,” a dazzlingly funky joint that transmutes into something close to psychedelic soul with maybe a dash of ork-pop thrown in. Impressive doesn’t do it justice. There’s a sense the band are daring that they can do this, so next they're going to take it even further.

The Fieh modus operandi seems to be: start on relatively familiar territory then metamorphosize into something just that little bit unexpected. But ultimately it’s just too damn irresistible to spend time theorising, because this is music that above all else demands to be enjoyed.