Tag: Reviews
After a couple of EPs , it was time for singer-songwriter Vijaya to spread her wings and show what she is able to do on a full-length. The result is an intimate album with minimal, but brilliant instrumentation that is only enhancing her beautiful voice. The palette of emotion is displayed is limited, going from the melancholic to the slightly annoyed. When on her melancholic game, she just creates some amazing melodies and textures, with just her voice and electric guitar. Mostly simply electronics and keyboards are sprinkled throughout the record, as well as reeds, harmonica and a few more, as simple as the arrangements are, they are completely amazing. I really like this, in more ways that I thought I would. This is intelligent, well crafted singer/songwriter music.
- Simon Thibaudeau
The Alpine sort of remind me of a sub-par version of Blur circa "The Great Escape" in that they play this sort of tongue-in-cheek pop with slick, harmonized vocals – the lead singer's bratty sneer is featured prominently all over the album and is at times, a little grating. Unfortunately, the singer's voice is not the only thing that's grating: the songs themselves are just sort of generic and uninspired which makes for a pretty shaky foundation for the band's somewhat overbearing delivery (I'm mostly referring to the dueling boy/girl vocals and liberal use of silly keyboard settings). My aversion to this album probably has much to do with the cringe-worthy lyrics (for example: "Life is so ironic/it's never what it seems" and "Mom and Dad/got pissed real bad/the day I joined the band"). If you're the kind of person that is easily turned off by bad lyrical content, avoid this album altogether. It's not to say there aren't any high points at all: "Trigger" stands out as one of the few gems in the sense that I could imagine it penetrating Top 40 radio, but I cannot conclusively say that I enjoyed this album.
- Jessica Numsuwankijkul
With a promiscuous and skew approach, Envelopes hit me right in the gut. If you mixed Talking Heads with early Bob Hund, this is what it would sound like. But the more you listen, the more you discover. With an intact lo-fi sound, these guys attack with catchy melodies and a flawless recording that, to me, can be seen as a reaction on how the record industry sounds today. Cause really, if this record was released 20 years ago, it would be so up-to-date. If you're into the Sarah Records back-catalogue, Pixies and even Laakso, don't miss this record. And do check out the brilliant single "Sister in love" and the recently released single not featured on this record, "Free jazz"! Smart and joyful indiepop that deserves a wider audience. I know I'm hooked!
- Jonas Appelqvist
2005 was quite the year for Norway's Madrugada. Their 4th record, "The deep end", outsold their others and swept every Norwegian award there was to be won. Proving that they know how to make hay while the sun shines, they've released not one, but two, follow-ups in less than a year's time. "Live at Tralfamadore" is a live record based primarily on their December, 2005 concert at the Oslo Spektrum, and "Live at Oslo Spektrum" is a DVD of that show. Both are more like top notch souvenirs than new additions to their catalogue (they themselves referred to the live record as #4.5 rather than #5), but both feature excellent songs performed with stellar musicianship and passion. "Majesty" on "Tralfamadore" outshines the studio version from "Grit", and old gems like "Vocal" sound better than ever. "Tralfamadore"'s rendition of "Only when you're gone," with an orchestral backing that owes more to modernism than schmaltz is downright breathtaking. Both feature one new song, "You better leave," which is darker than most of "The deep end," and a moving rendition of "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child," an old spiritual that makes it easy to imagine ever-amazing singer Sivert Høyem working the cotton fields of the old south, despite his arctic pallor. There are a few missteps - the cd inexplicably features the studio version of their duet with Ane Brun ("Lift Me"), rather than the live version on the DVD, and two versions of "Black Mambo," seriously disrupting the sense of a concert. The DVD relegates old favorite "Electric" to the credits, leaves some of the fan-favorites performed that night off entirely, and spends a bit too much time on Høyem when one might want to see more of what those playing instruments were up to. Having been filmed at their biggest concert ever, the DVD also creates more of an atmosphere of stardom than the intimacy that characterizes them at their best. But both are strong releases from one of Scandinavia's finest, and further demonstrate how much they deserve a wider international audience than they've found to date.
- Nancy Baym
Jeremiha's debut is a radio-friendly, stadium-ready collection of anthemic synth-pop reminiscent of Duran Duran in their heyday. The sound comes on strong and stays that way right through to the end. The mood never wavers, the singer's got a nice deep voice, and the music is melodic and catchy. I can imagine it blaring from speakers at swimming pools everywhere this summer. But lyrics like "all I want is your touch/it's too much/it's never enough" and "it feels like strangers when we kiss/there must be more to life than this" exemplify how little originality there is here. Churning out solid versions of familiar sounds has made rock stars out of plenty of bands before them, and maybe it'll work for them too. But if you like Swedish music on account of its off-kilter edge, steer clear.
- Nancy Baym
As expected, the new single from everyone's favourite band The Radio Dept. is as excellent as anything they've ever released. I read somewhere that they first recorded an album heavily influenced by dance music, only to scrap it when they realised that everyone else was pretty much doing just that. Despite this, "Worse taste in music" sounds like how The Radio Dept. have done previously, and it's as fantastic as ever. Unfortunately, there are only two "proper" songs (both great) on the EP and two remixes (one good, one not as good). So much for them not wanting to follow the latest trends, eh!
- Simon Tagestam
Sometime at the end of last year, my next-door neighbor emerges from his door and tells me he's on his way to see a band called Tiger Lou and that I should probably do the same. Operating under the assumption (sorry to say, but from the name of the band) that TL was probably just going to be another band of indie-rock sissies in horizontal stripes, I opted to go to a cheesy dance club in Malmö instead. Whoops. Tiger Lou are one of the more promising new bands to hail from Sweden within the last couple of years and exhibit a considerable aptitude for penning catchy pop tunes of a darker persuasion: while the songs on the "Nixon" single exude a sort of characteristic moodiness, they never quite veer into truly somber territory – at least not sonically. Most of the songs on the "Nixon" single can be found in one form or another on TL's full-length, "The loyal". The last two tracks are remixed versions of "The loyal" (by Martin Vogel) and "The war between us" (by Rupesh Cartel). The remix of "The loyal" is at best, a little dull: the only thing that salvages the track's tired electro-pop is the quality of the original song itself. The "War between us" remix is even worse as it epitomizes the awful b-side dance remix: imagine the Pet Shop Boys without the nuances that make the Pet Shop Boys well... palatable. The verdict? Ditch the single and buy the album.
- Jessica Numsuwankijkul
Vapnet's EP "Ge dom våld" was one record that I played to death last year. The EP works as a sort of safety blanket for me nowadays, whenever I feel a bit down or if I just crave a quick fix of good music, I put it on. My hopes for their forthcoming album are obviously insanely high, but if the songs on it are as good as (their latest release) "Thoméegränd" or the ones on "Ge dom våld", it could end up being one of my favourite albums ever. This EP also contains a bunch of remixes (by such prominent acts as Le Sport, Suburban Kids with Biblical Names, etc.) which are fun and interesting, but not as satisfactory as new "proper" songs by Vapnet themselves.
- Simon Tagestam
I like to think I'm one of the most open-minded listeners around, but dad gum it, this new record by Swedish folkie/country minstrel Lars Bygdén tested my patience. If it weren't for his name, you wouldn't have a friggin' CLUE that this thing came from within a thousand miles of the Arctic Circle. It sounds like safe, low-rent stuff from Nashville or somewhere else in the American south. I started scratching my brow on track two, "Thinking 'bout you," as our boy turns up the eloquence meter to, uh, ONE, with this verse: "I'm thinkin' 'bout chu (definitely pronounced as CHEW--c'mon, Lars, you're SWEDISH, not AMERICAN BACKWOODS)/With everything that I do/I'm movin' too fast/Won't give you no rest/I'm always thinkin' 'bout chu." I kept scratching through several bland, acoustic ballady numbers--only perking up my ears for the uptempo "Dream on," which you can actually tap your foot to, the sorta poignant "For the old folks" (a straight tribute to your ma and pa's generation; "I guess they need a thought or two," LB tells us), and "I couldn't help it," which, if you forget it's from Sweden, is one of the nicer and more wistfully sweet ballads here, Bygdén picking at the old six-string with some heart. But otherwise, this record is seriously lacking in some key musical ingredients: little things like originality, melody, emotional interest, etc. It's hard to imagine many folks making it to track 11 without yawning. Lars, m'boy, I'm sure you're a decent, sincere chap, and I promise I like Americana as much as you. But rough it up a bit or head for the edge, otherwise you're gonna start sounding like you belong in Branson. And that would be a terrible fate for a nice Swedish boy.
- Kevin Renick
There's probably a million other bands doing the power-pop/indierock thing and, while the quality level of the scene is usually fairly high, it's increasingly hard for bands to distinguish themselves from the rabble. I can't say anything bad about The Drawbacks, but I can't really say that I'm all that impressed either. Once you get past the excellent energetic opening track "Celia", the rest of the eight songs on this disc are merely "ok". Maybe they just need the right producer to bring out their personality. Or maybe they should let loose and rock out a little more. Hard to say exactly what's lacking, but it definitely needs something.
- Avi Roig
I was originally drawn to Scandinavian music because of the differences I was hearing in it, yet a lot of stuff coming out lately sounds distinctly like many other groups. That doesn't make it bad, but it kinda makes it difficult to wax enthusiastic about such music beyond saying "Yeah, it's decent." Take the latest record by Swedish rockers Monastir. It has some energetic guitar work, some big blustery rock vocals (with just enough distortion to give it a bit of edge), and a great production. The song "So defeated" has already charted, and several others here are just as good if not better. But, while I enjoyed this disc overall, it's not one I see myself coming back to often. It's sort of a made-for-driving CD, yet it falls short of being a classic. I do like the '60s-influenced harmony vocals melding with a modern indie sound and more than a little mid-period Who flavoring. There are some nice keyboard textures, especially on "I freak out on everyone" and "Echoes in my head", and any disc with a song that celebrates being "young and stupid" or that provides imbibing accompaniment like "Saturday night and I'm feeling alright/Gonna have me a drink or two...I don't really care about you," is gonna induce smiles, for sure. I would use the word "sturdy" to describe this: there are some okay melodies, but most of it kinda sounds the same, and there's little here not being done better by other groups. Monastir just didn't create much of a, well, STIR, for me.
- Kevin Renick
Still bummed because Minnesota mopemeisters Low got all rocked up on their last album and subsequently didn't provide the misery/melancholy quotient you counted on them for? Relax, my frowning friends; Munck//Johnson are here to help. On their second album, the Danish duo sound incredibly like Low at times, and Camilla Munck shouldn't feel at all belittled to be called the Danish Mimi Parker. Her voice is just as lovely, just as capable of expressing deep, private sorrow that doesn't reveal its source openly. "Last wish" and the evocative organ utilized on "The streets" are unquestionably Low-ish (never more than when those tight harmonies deliver the goods). But my favorite tracks are the beautifully eerie "This time," which features electric guitar washes distorted to create an evocative ambient soundscape over which sparse synth and the quietly sombre vocal effectively stir up your most buried emotions, and the graceful piano-laden "Be kind," which is truly lovely. Elsewhere, several tracks are just Moogie Johnson's simple acoustic guitar and Camilla's delicate voice ("Ellis of Davenport," "Sweet and lowdown," "Flesh and bone"). While this is often downbeat music, it's engaging and poetic, and it always feels genuine. With a little patience, anyone into introspective, soul-searching music should be able to appreciate this disc, which is a tad more consistent than last year's debut.
- Kevin Renick
This could have been the compilation album that would make other compilation albums obsolete, since it's a brilliant idea – get some critics to write reviews of non-existent songs then let the bands record them. What a shame then that most of the tracks here are rubbish. Before I dug into this album, I read the individual reviews, and they made me expect something great, which is a bit unfortunate since "Jävla kritiker!" only contains a couple of interesting songs. There are definitely none of those masterpieces that the reviews suggest that there is to be found here. It's kind of odd that they've managed to get some of Sweden's best critics and writers together for this project, but hardly any of Sweden's best bands (ok, Sophie Rimheden is perhaps the undisputed master of what she does and Nicolai Dunger seems to hit the right strings with certain folks). The best thing about this compilation is how some of the artists (like Nicolai Dunger) have either submitted a song chosen on random, or totally ignored the text they were meant to base their song on.
- Simon Tagestam
When getting to know Billie the Vision and the Dancers music for the first time it's easy to dismiss it as happy-go-lucky pop, similar to Håkan Hellström and the euphoria it brings. But underneath that facade lies a gloomy feeling that never leaves and that is what I really enjoy about this band. The seven piece band mixes head-turning singalong tunes with lyrics about insufficiency, family-issues, friends, unanswered love and, most of all, Pablo gets to you. According to the band, Pablo could be anyone out there, personifying those feelings we carry within each day. Billie the Vision and the Dancers let those feelings out with smart songwriting and some shoegaze influences. And in a really great way too! This is their second album (cunningly established on the song "One more full length record") and though I find the first one, "I was so unpopular in school and now they're giving me this beautiful bicycle", a bit more coherent and in your face, this one proves that Billie the Vision is here to stay.
- Jonas Appelqvist
Tiger Lou
Vapnet
Munck//Johnson
Various Artists