Mapsadaisical reviews the new Supersilent record "8": https://mapsadaisical.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/supersilent-8-rune-grammofon/
I've got a copy of it sitting on my desk, but I've yet to be in the right mood to dig in. Soon!

Those Dancing Days
s/t EP
V2

Those Dancing Days have quickly risen to the hype of bloggers everywhere, and it's not really a surprise, as their style of Nordic soul inspired indie-pop hits many a listeners' ear like sugar on the lips. Being an average age of 17 or so, it must be taking these young ladies by storm, as they're even up for "Best Swedish Artist" at the MTV Europe awards. However, their debut does sound like that - a bunch of 17 year olds making their first recordings. Although the ideas are there, as are the knack for hooks, nothing is as strong as it should be for a band to really have a massive impact. The single "Hitten" and title-track are the two stand-outs on the EP, but the rest seem a bit unconfident. While it's no doubt the band has talent, I hope to see them give it at least another two or three years to hone their craft, and just then, they could be one of Sweden's top acts.
- Matt Giordano

Paper Thin Walls is less impressed than most when it comes to Jens Lekman: https://www.paperthinwalls.com/singlefile/item?id=1080

Cokemachineglow reviews "Sonata mix dwarf cosmos", the solo debut from Susanna of Susanna and the Magical Orchestra: https://cokemachineglow.com/reviews/susanna_sonatamixdwarfcosmos2007.html

The Skull Defekts
Blood spirits & drums are singing
Conspiracy Records

On The Skull Defekts' new album, "Blood spirits & drums are singing", their trademark electronic sound has been replaced with one comprised primarily of traditional instrumentation - drums, bass, lead, the works. The electronic elements are still there, lurking in the shadows, but never having the same grand presence they enjoyed on The Skull Defekts' previous work. The album opens innocuously enough with "Unholy drums are singing", which I feel, is too long, considering that it offers nothing of significance to the album. The album really takes off past this track, although the closer "White lights burning lights" matches the opener in sheer lack of brilliance. On the whole, "BS&DAS" isn't a bad album, but I think The Skull Defekts' venture into territories uncharted hasn't done them any favors. Most of their previous stuff, it seems to me, offered a glimpse into the mind of a disturbed individual. Something dark. Something foreboding. Something very, very ominous. It's hard to describe exactly, but it seems better executed with the use of electronics. Surprisingly enough, the lyrics/ vocals on this album prevent it from being just another poorly thought-out experiment. Something I never thought I'd say about a primarily noise/drone outfit with hard rock tendencies. Almost in keeping with the theme of mentally disturbed: the lyrics aren't perfect. They ramble. They're mildly unsettling. But they have an almost hypnotic effect to them that completely draws you in. The effect is carried out to perfection, coupled with the drums on "Rhythm is the key" and "The secret" (which also feature a good deal of the noise elements on the album). It's simply a crying shame that the rest of the album doesn't match up.
- Heinrich Souza

The Avantgarde-Metal website takes a look back at Beyond Dawn's classic "Revelry": https://www.avantgarde-metal.com/content/reviews2.php?id=119

Timo Räisänen
Love will turn you around
Razzia Records

While not flawless, "Love will turn you around" has already solidified its placement as a record that will receive heavy rotation in my stereo this autumn. There are a few stumbles as Räisänen's more eccentric qualities overpower his usually solid deliveries - "Spill your beans" is far from awful, it just doesn't sit as solidly in the tracklist as the majority of the other compositions do, and makes for a bizarre transition between the heavy, dark delivery of "Sunday" and the softer "Stop rocking the boat" (which, for whatever reason, reminds me of those brilliant early tracks from Ben Folds Five); and "I wash my mouth with soap before I go" could easily be removed from the album without causing much fuss. "Love will turn you around" synthesizes the complicated optimism present in both Swedish indierock and bands like Pavement and, to some extent, Weezer - "Valentine" establishing this talent early on - and yet doesn't shy away from the shadows or more distortion saturated approaches as "Sunday" attests. "Michael" has quickly become my favorite Timo Räisänen song, ousting "Sweet Marie" and "Fear no darkness, promised child" with it's nearly immaculate craftsmanship and delivery, and is almost worth the price alone. The true power of this album is its appeal to a broad spectrum of listeners - as comparable to Shout Out Louds as it is to Laakso or The Bear Quartet - and what could be more important as the days shorten and grow colder than a solid collection of idiosyncratic, yet ultimately hopeful indie anthems?
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Pello Revolvers
Hasse K EP
Lompis Records

It would be tempting to call this folk music, with its sparse instrumentation, occasional fiddles, minor keys, and themes of death, sinning, damnation, and too much alcohol consumption. But the sound is a bit too jaunty and upbeat for that. Essentially a one-man band, Hans-Erik Kangasharju, is to be commended for mixing it up, each song has somewhat different instrumentation and a different take on his sound. Kangasharju has a voice that evokes Buddy Holly, though a bit more intense and, alas, a bit more irritating. It would have helped to mix it further down and let the subtle but excellent guitar work shine instead. Indeed, the stand-out track is an instrumental that seamlessly intertwines a killer surf guitar line with a mournful, slow, and almost klezmer fiddle line. It's a strange juxtaposition that works brilliantly. If only the whole EP worked as well.
- Nancy Baym

24:hours reports on the new 12" from Boeoes Kaelstigen, out now on Adrian Recordings: https://2-4-hours.blogspot.com/2007/09/boeoes-kaelstigen-has-been-on-24hours.html

Musique Machine reviews Norwegian minimalist duo Pjusk: https://www.musiquemachine.com/reviews/reviews_template.php?id=1423

Pitchfork weighs in with their take on José González's new record "In our nature": https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/45894-in-our-nature

120 Days
Sedated times EP
Vice

With their new EP out, favourite melodramatic Norwegians' keep showing their skill at crafting dark, dramatic rock songs with influences ranging from Krautrock to the Jesus and Marcy Chain and New Order. It's all very catchy and certainly a hit with anyone who's ever wanted to look "heroin chic", but just as with their debut album, the band continues their streak of horribly clichéd and pretentious lyrics. Their homepage describes them, without a hint of irony, as "a bunch of scuzzy, city crawling electronic rock deviants hooked on dark nights of depravity, Krautrock and literary pornography." With lyrics such as "Take me down to the dreary basement where the sun never ever shines / and show me where you spent the days that killed the smile in your eyes" it's not surprising that the highlight of the record is actually the instrumental "Sleepless nights #11", which injects a dose of organ-driven melancholy (not unlike Det Gamla Landet) into the middle of the record.
- Viktor Ålander

Stylus reviews the new José González record: https://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/jose-gonzalez/in-our-nature.htm

Lowe
Tenant remixed
Megahype

What is a good remix? The one that reduces the song to four-on-the-floor beats and the occasional voice sample? The one that expands on the original, or moves it into a completely new direction? The one that just dresses the original song up in some new clothes, but leaves it easily recognised? For Lowe, the last one seems to be the answer. Every remix on this double album can quite easily be traced back to the original. The problem is that Lowe's Depeche Mode/New Order mimicries weren't that great to begin with. No matter what electro-pop costume the songs are dressed in, melodies falters. The singer sounds tedious and generic instead of depressingly heartfelt. When even the likes of Håkan Lidbo can't make a song interesting, something is clearly wrong! The final track, a Lowe remix of Elegant Machinery's classic "Save me" drives the point home perfectly. Lowe may know their way around the studio and can present crystal clear productions... But it's the original melody, the original vocals that give the emotional connection. That worm their way into the skull. That makes me remember what an amazing band Elegant Machinery was. How the Swedish synth-pop scene has lost its way. And I'm sure that wasn't the intention behind this redundant, oversized, repetitive collection.
- Hanzan

They already featured them as a band of the month and now The Silent Ballet reviews Immanu El's album "They'll come, they come": https://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/870/Default.aspx
Though it's hardly original, I think this album is pretty good too.