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henric de la cour mybonesyourashes
Artist: Henric de la Cour
Title: My Bones, Your Ashes
Genre: Dark Wave / Electro Goth
Release Date: 31st January 2025
Label: self-released


Album Review

HENRIC DE LA COUR has been enriching the Scandinavian Darkwave and Electro-Goth scene for over three decades with his unique signature and deeply emotional, often dark music that refuses to be easily pigeonholed. Initially the singer of YVONNE, a band that released four albums starting in 1993, he formed the project STRIP MUSIC with Christian Berg (KITE) after its dissolution in 2002. Originally conceived as a duo, STRIP MUSIC quickly grew into a six-member band. After two albums and countless live performances, the project was put on ice in 2009, and Henric focused on other projects. In 2011, he released his first solo album, which bears his name.

Behind the dark, often dramatic aesthetic of his music lies a deeply personal story: since his childhood, Henric has lived with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a hereditary disease that for a long time limited his conceivable future to just a few years, perhaps even only months or weeks. This constant battle with his own mortality runs through his work and was powerfully captured in the 2014 documentary ‘Henric de la Cour’ by filmmaker Jacob Frösen. It is an impressive work that provides deep insights into the life and soul of the exceptional musician. Then, a new medication fundamentally changed his life by combating the symptoms of his illness and partially repairing the underlying genetic defect. This opened up a future for HENRIC DE LA COUR that was as frightening as it was hopeful. His third album, ‘Gimme Daggers’ (2018), marked a turning point, breaking through the eternal darkness and bidding farewell to a world marked by death. This existential transformation is reflected in the intensity of his music, which, despite all its darkness, is always permeated by a deep longing for life.

In the fall of 2024, HENRIC DE LA COUR made his return with the single ‘Hey You, Hell No’ - a full six years after the release of his last album, ‘Gimme Daggers’. He used these years for a period of self-reflection, ultimately emerging in a more developed yet unmistakable form. The essence of his work remains: grandeur, despair, and a fragile balance between the darkest Indie- and melancholic Synth-Pop, which had already made him an icon in the 90s with YVONNE. However, his music has evolved - it has become more distilled, direct, and precise. With ‘My Bones, Your Ashes’, he returned on 31st January 2025, proving that his music still deeply moves listeners while exploring new spaces. In renewed collaboration with Rikard Lindh, Henric has created a sound that feels even more expansive and intense, without losing its dark melancholy. His distinctive voice, which is both unmistakable and nuanced, remains the thread that ties it all together - compelling and vulnerable at once.

The opener ‘Bones, Ashes’ greets us with almost minimalist verses, a powerful chorus, and a rawness that weighs heavy on the chest. The recurring line “someone will come by” stirs vague hope - but hope for what, exactly? It seems to be about farewell, loneliness, and the lingering question of whether salvation will come. Is Henric processing his past here? For years, death was an unavoidable reality for him. But suddenly, he’s faced with a whole new question: If the end is no longer inevitable, what comes next? Next up is ‘Hey you, Hell no’, carried by a melancholic baseline. A dark yet poetic reflection on a toxic relationship unfolds, highlighted by Liv Sellgren’s haunting second voice. The lyrics paint a picture of a destructive dynamic, where the wounds cut deeper and deeper until only cynicism and mutual contempt remain. The imagery of shattered glass and rusty nails doesn’t just suggest emotional scars - it also calls back to Henric’s physical struggles. The song pulses with anger, resignation, and just a hint of gallows humour.

With heavy synth riffs and brooding guitars (courtesy of Valdemar Asp, former member of STRIP MUSIC), ‘Dead Hank’ is one of the most intense tracks on the album, delivering a raw and powerful energy. A song that absolutely kills live - and one of my personal favourites. It kicks off with a reference to Clive Barker’s ‘Books of Blood’ and its “highways of the dead” - a metaphor for the souls of the departed drifting through the world. Henric has identified with death for a long time - but if that’s over now, what’s left? Then comes another album highlight, one that hits deep: ‘Interlude’. It unfolds across majestic soundscapes, rich guitar riffs, and soaring string arrangements. The song poetically reflects on a pact between two people who try to stand against the world, only to ultimately go up in flames themselves. “They said we were of darkness / we thought we were of light / and in the field they saw us / burning, burning bright”. This is a poor goosebump moment of the album.

‘Dread Forever’ gets deeply personal: “I will stop the drinking / and focus on my pills” - a line that seems like a direct reference to his treatment. But instead of relief, Henric describes a sense of loss and disorientation. CF was a central part of his identity for so long - so what now? Distorted synths, his intense vocals, and a deeply unsettling soundscape drive home this feeling of inner turmoil. His new perspective on life seems just as terrifying as it is hopeful. Next up is ‘Hate in G Minor’, an emotional ballad about interpersonal tensions. Then ‘Scavenger’. Is it about a failed relationship or a life that’s lost its meaning? With a punk attitude hiding beneath soft synth lines, the track reminds me here and there of Joy Division. “Our war is over / I will never have to fight another like it”. Is there, in the end, a hint of reconciliation and maybe even hope?

‘High-Rise’ feels almost like a glimmer of hope on the album - at least musically. A beautiful Indie-Pop track with a killer chorus, it carries an almost uplifting energy, which you wouldn’t expect from HENRIC DE LA COUR. The song tells of escaping a suffocating environment, a metaphor for leaving the past behind and seeking a fresh start. Stripped down to piano and vocals, with a delicate synth line weaving through, ‘Schneider’ is one of the album’s most intense moments. A deeply introspective reflection on isolation and memory. The lines “did I hear a knock at the door / did somebody call my name” are particularly haunting, capturing a profound longing for connection. The album closes with ‘Autumn Is Upon Me’. A steady baseline, rich synth textures, David Lind’s driving drums, and one central thought: “was that life that flashed by?” Henric looks back, seemingly embracing both change and life itself. “Now autumn is upon me / and I greet it as a friend long time lost”.

‘My Bones, Your Ashes’ isn’t an album you just throw on in the background. It’s deep, dark, and intensely personal. A powerful and intense album that truly captures Henric’s growth as both an artist and a person. The music stays true to his signature darkness, but it feels more direct and rawer than ever before. The mix of intimacy and drama that defines his music is front and centre on this album. ‘My Bones, Your Ashes’ blends despair and hope, existential dread and fragile optimism, creating a stunning work about facing death and searching for redemption. You can feel the intensity in every track - yet even in all its darkness, there’s a deep yearning for life. With Rikard Lindh and Valdemar Asp by his side, Henric has crafted an album that hits hard, both emotionally and musically. An album you can’t ignore - one that’s already secured its place on my list of favourite albums of the year. ‘My Bones, Your Ashes’ is available on CD, LP, and of course, digitally.


Tracklist

01. Bones, Ashes
02. Hey You, Hell No
03. Dead Hank
04. Interlude
05. Dread Forever
06. Hate in G Minor
07. Scavenger
08. High-Rise
09. Schneider
10. Autumn Is Upon Me


Line-up

Henric De La Cour
Rikard Lindh
Valdemar Asp - additional guitars
Liv Sellgren - additional vocals on ‘Hey you, Hell no’
David Lind - additional drums on ‘Autumn Is Upon Me’


Website

www.facebook.com/HenricDLC


Cover Picture

henricdelacour mybonesyourashes


Rating

Music: 10
Sound: 10
Total: 10 / 10


Henric de la Cour on tour 2025

14.02.2025 - Uppsala, Katalin
21.02. 2025 - Oslo, Goldie
22.02. 2025 - Jönköping, Sofiehof Underjord
28.02. 2025 - Göteborg, Pustervik
01.03. 2025 - Malmö, Plan B
08.03. 2025 - Stockholm, Debaser
09.06. 2025 - Leipzig, WGT Festival