Sivert Høyem – dancing headlights (review)

There’s something about Sivert Høyem’s voice. It has gravity. Not just in the deep, resonant tone, but in the way it pulls you in without effort. It’s a voice that doesn’t just sing. It fills the space, lingers in the air, wraps around you. A voice like that doesn’t need theatrics. It speaks, and you listen.

His new album, Dancing Headlights, is his eighth studio album. Short, just over 32 minutes, but deliberate. Every second is used well. There’s no excess, no need to stretch songs beyond what they have to say. It’s stripped back in the right way, recorded live with his band, giving it a warmth that so much modern music lacks. Sivert called it “just a pop album,” but that feels almost dismissive of what he’s done here. If this is pop, it’s the kind that doesn’t chase trends, doesn’t try to impress, just exists, solid and timeless.

Unlike the widescreen darkness of Madrugada, Dancing Headlights leans into something more restrained, more personal. The sound feels warm, direct, as if it was played straight to tape without second-guessing. There are no grand orchestrations, no unnecessary layers. Just guitars with the right amount of bite, a rhythm section that breathes, and that voice, always at the centre.

The influence of classic pop and rock is undeniable, but there’s something distinctly Nordic about it too. That slow-burning intensity, the way songs feel like they belong to long roads and empty spaces. The way they hold emotion without spilling over into sentimentality.

The album doesn’t rely on one standout moment to define it. It’s the sum of its parts, a collection of eight songs that each hold their own. Some are immediate, some take their time, but together they create something cohesive. There’s a steadiness to it, a quiet confidence. Some albums want to surprise you, throw twists into the mix. Dancing Headlights doesn’t need to. Its strength is in its consistency, in its confidence to just be what it is.

Because it doesn’t overreach. Because it doesn’t try too hard to impress. Because it knows exactly what it’s supposed to be. Dancing Headlights is not an album that demands attention. It’s one that earns it.

Released through Hektor Grammofon, Sivert’s own label, the album thrives on the interplay of seasoned musicians who know exactly when to hold back and when to push forward. Recorded live with Cato Salsa (guitar), Christer Knutsen (keys), Øystein Frantzvåg (bass), and Børge Fjordheim (drums), it keeps the balance between looseness and precision.

It’s easy to underestimate an album like this. It’s not loud, not flashy, doesn’t announce itself with fanfare. It just waits for the right moment, the right listener, the right state of mind.

You don’t just hear this album. You step into it. And once you do, it doesn’t leave for a while.

Find out more about Sivert Høyem and his projects: https://siverthoyem.com/