Carpark North – more than air in the air

It has been a long journey for Danish electro-rockers Soren Balsner, Lau Hojen, and Morten Thorhauge aka Carpark North. Their latest album ‘Hope’ came out late 2017, and though Covid-19 put everything on a stand-still, it still took the dynamic super trio seven years to compile a new album.

But now it is here; the band’s eighth installment. It is called ‘AIR’ and it was certainly worth the wait.

Lyrics display more maturity and add depth

Carpark North always had a more solemn and serious demeanor to their writing than their more happy-go-party contemporaries. The 2003 break-through ‘Transparent & Glasslike‘, for instance, describes the mental recovery of lead singer, Lau Hojen, after he suffered a violent and out-of-the-blue assault one late night in hometown Aarhus.

Many of the trio’s early hits have circled around traditional youth struggles; having girlfriends, how to be a loyal friend, loneliness and anxiety. But with the 2017 album ‘Hope‘ things took a sudden and rather retrospective turn. As if the three pioneers felt the need to press pause, ponder and back-track their own footprints in the snow.

On ‘Hope‘ songs about the loss of a parent, feeling vulnerable and insufficient, and about the responsibility of having children and becoming a family were predominant. Heartfelt and honest as always, yet some of the tracks likely made fans shedding a tear or two in the dark under an ocean of lit mobile torches at the gigs.

The level maturity has developed even further on Carpark’s 2025 publication “AIR“, and it doesn’t just add some extra depth and perspective to some well-written songs – it really suits the three inseparable rock musketeers extremely well.

We will get back to that shortly.

A song to a future king… about being king

The first precursor to a new album was premiered at the annual Royal Awards in Esbjerg City, Denmark, in 2023. At the event hosted by the Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary (since January 2024 King and Queen of Denmark) the trio was invited to come play three of their songs. Opening with smash hits ‘Transparent & Glasslike‘ and ‘32‘ the third took everybody by surprise.

A song allegedly shelved for more than 12 years was recovered by producer Soren V. Christensen, who found the basic riff had the potential for something bigger. He suggested the band gave it another shot, and suddenly ‘If I Were Your King‘ was wrapped up and ready to go.

In the song lead singer Lau Hojen imagines what he would do if he were king for a day.

Little did they know, that they’d debut the song in front of their soon-to-be-king. The royal heir, however, loved both the song and the overall performance and decided to meet with the band after the show for a gin and tonic.

No doubt this classic CPN recipe will have whole arenas singing along in unison in years to come.

More than just another CPN album

From the outset the album appears like “just another Carpark album”. Opening tune ‘Red Lights‘ carries all the hallmark traits of the trio’s previous hits. With a world-like and rather beautiful interlude the song quickly accelerates, skillfully propelled by Thorhauge’s signature syncopated fills, unfolding a story about a worried friend, reaching out to help someone dear who’s lost his or hers bearing in life.

Full of nerve, power, and delicate intimacy all-in-one. This is exactly what Soren, Lau and Morten do better than anyone else in Denmark.

But already by track two, ‘Heathens‘, things change ever so delicately. It sets off as a traditional CPN composition. But by the third line, the backing vocals, the waldzither/lute, the acoustic guitar, and the folk-ish upright piano reveal something else is afoot.

Behind the track’s exquisite seasoning we find two legendary brothers. Thomas and Simon Alstrup of Denmark’s most prominent folk band, Jonah Blacksmith, have joined the trio for what ends up being the best song on the album. We absolutely love it and applaud both the idea and the extremely successful execution of it.

Another surprise drifts through the sound barrier like a skid car racing in ‘Nothing But Noise‘. A frantic panic attack, that sounds like someone had too many Red Bulls during a late-night session with Duran Duran synth master Nick Rhodes. Yikes, you might think… But it works surprisingly well too!

The song, of course, does not feature a guest performance by mr. Rhodes. However, young Laust Nilsson Halwas – a quarter of the Danish rap outfit ‘FYR’ – generously granted this triphop track some well-served street cred. Thanks a lot champ!

Album about the air we breathe and the air between us

Despite the usual CPN grandeur and several jump-worthy singalongs, ‘AIR‘ shines the most when the trio turns sincere and intimate. Apart from the beautiful title track, songs such as ‘A Wonder‘, ‘Monsters‘, ‘Grey Clouds‘ and the cinematic and truly epic ‘All Stars Are Designed To Explode‘ all stand out as beacons, holding such authenticity in depicting life unfiltered – hard and complicated, yet full of hope and universal love.

Obviously, it wouldn’t be a true CPN album without festival boosters like ‘The Island‘, ‘Mountains & Valleys‘ or ‘Dancing With My Ghost‘. These songs are somewhat expected collateral. Lau Hojen’s sublime vocal work and always well-dosed rock guitar, Soren Balsner’s intelligent and wizard-like synth programming, and Morten Thorhauge’s energetic and frankly breath-taking drumming IS, after all, the true sound of Carpark North.

But the softer songs mentioned above serve a higher purpose, it feels. They make you pause and reconsider what we are really here for; what truly matters. The latter says it all. No need for many words:

What we breathe in
We cannot hold
So we exhale
And let it flow
From all that died
All plants will grow
All stars are designed to explode

It is elemental, dear Watson!

There is something almost Pink Floyd-ish to ‘All Stars Are Designed To Explode‘. If I were your king, it would be an obvious single, and it deserves a well-produced video (call Martin de Thurah).

Conclusively; it may have taken some seven years to make. But ‘AIR‘ surely hits the spot and shows, that the once young guns are now full-grown pedigree Danish export rock’n’roll. They mirror contemporary life in Scandinavia sublimely and display prowess and a sustainability much in demand in times of unavoidable uncomfortable change.

‘AIR‘ is not a luxury – it is a necessity!

Catapult mic drop 😉
#outofair

Carpark North’s “AIR” was released on 4 April 2025 by United Records/Universal Music Denmark.