You Belong works because this band sounds fully in sync, with Miilmann’s slide guitar at the center giving each tune a clear, human voice.
April Records
David Miilmann – Guitar, Slide Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Sitar, Vocals; Buster Isitt – Guitar, Vocals; Elias HP – bass, double bass; Svend Feldbæk Winther – Piano, Synthesizer, Organ, Rhodes, Vocals; Theiss Nemborg – Drums, Synthesizer
This is the third album from the David Miilmann Group, and by now the band has a sound that’s easy to recognize. Miilmann’s slide guitar sits at the center of it all. He has said that singers such as Curtis Mayfield, Freddie King, and Aretha Franklin helped shape his approach to the instrument, and that influence runs through the album. His playing rarely feels rushed, instead focusing on melody, phrasing, and the weight of individual notes.
The result is music that feels open and direct. Even in improvisation, the emphasis stays on melody, groove, and collective sound rather than individual display.
“The Day After” introduces the band with intertwined guitars, resonant bass lines, and organ in the background. Miilmann’s slide guitar often suggests a pedal steel, giving the tune a country-rock edge. Drummer Theiss Nemborg keeps things moving with crisp stick work while the guitars trade phrases.
“Towering Hearts” has an almost orchestral quality. Melodic bass lines move beneath the theme while piano and guitars share the melody, passing it between them. Winther states the theme clearly before stepping back as the group expands on it.
The groove-driven “It’s Happening Again” brings a different kind of energy. Drummer Theiss Nemborg settles into a danceable rhythm while Rhodes piano and rhythm guitar lock into a pocket that recalls 1970s soul-jazz. The band sits comfortably in the groove, letting it carry the tune forward.
“My Favorite Things” may be the album’s most striking transformation. The melody arrives in a straightforward, unhurried setting before Miilmann begins to work it over with his slide guitar. Notes bend, phrases stretch, and the tune takes on a heavy blues character. The shift happens so naturally that you hardly notice how far the music has traveled until the band eases back into quiet.
“Blue Rose” moves away from groove into something more abstract. A simple guitar line anchors the piece while soft vocal sounds—closer to humming than singing—float through the mix, blurred by electronic processing. “Chord Melody” follows with a slow, reflective theme. Guitar and keyboards carry a simple, unhurried line focused on tone rather than development, built more for atmosphere than forward motion.
You Belong works because this band sounds fully in sync, with Miilmann’s slide guitar at the center giving each tune a clear, human voice. Everything settles naturally around that.
