US label Cheap Lullaby has licensed the album "Beneath & beyond" from Swedish duo Standfast for release on August 28. Stream tracks at the label's annoying all-flash website: http://www.cheaplullaby.com/

Standfast
Beneath and beyond
self-released

This disc was a pleasant surprise for me. The Swedish duo, consisting of Suzanne and Patrick, are obviously fans of simple, well-crafted, melodic soft rock, and that's what they deliver on this set of 12 breezy, gently melancholic tunes. Vocalist Suzanne is a bit reminiscent of Christine Sandtorv from Ephemera, which is no bad thing in my book. Christoffer Lundquist produced the platter with exceptional clarity, lending even lesser tunes a pleasing sonic sheen. But some tracks, like the utterly bewitching "Skin to skin", sound like timeless standards. I played this disc on my car stereo during numerous dreary days in December, and it was truly therapeutic. This is subtle, engaging pop music, and I look forward to future efforts.
- Kevin Renick