Tag: Reviews
This isn't a new album as such from Håkan, but a compilation of unreleased, live and cover songs. Like most of these things, it's mostly for fans and it would be a stupid place to start if you're thinking of checking out Håkan Hellström for the first time, since any of his three other 'proper' albums are better. That aside, if you're indeed a fan already, then I think this album is a must. There are twelve songs on here: two superb (the first two), three very good, three good, one ok, and three that are quite terrible. Six of the songs are covers and half of them work, the others are the previously mentioned terrible songs (I won't complain if Håkan decides to never sing in English ever again). Perhaps you've already calculated this, but this means that there are nine songs here for you to discover and cherish. Now, I regret to say this but I've read somewhere that Håkan's taking a break for a little while (fair enough, he just became a dad). I'm very glad he decided to release this album before he stops making music temporarily so that all of us Håkan fiends got something to calm our hunger with until the next fix. With these songs and some upcoming Håkan clones (it's inevitable, so bring them forth!) I think we might just be able to survive.
- Simon Tagestam
I've been a fan of Christian Kjellvander for a long time, I really like his old band Loosegoats, and I adored his last solo album and the Songs of Soil record that he did with his brother was better than butter. So for a long time now I've been a bit baffled that I haven't listened to "Faya" more than I have. I've only put it on with the intention of 'checking it out', or for me being able to review it. The songs on the album give a bit of more 'refined' impression than on his earlier releases (a bit more mature, I guess), but they also lack something that has been the key to Kjellvander's songs previously. Sure, the songs are pretty good, but I expect something more than standard alt. country numbers from someone like Christian Kjellvander and I try to tell myself that "Faya" is just nothing but a singular half-good album in a great career which will surely be followed by much greater things. Yeah, this is what I think will happen and in the future it will make perfect sense when you think of how "Faya" was such an obvious stepping stone for the greatness that came afterwards (just like how Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, for example, have released some dubious stuff throughout their careers). These are not just mere fantasies! Oh well, they are, but soon they'll be facts! FACTS!
- Simon Tagestam
I have been reliably informed that Pet Politics is a name of a song by Silver Jews. Pet Politics is from Sweden and doesn't really sound anything like Silver Jews at all. He sounds a lot like Lou Reed. This is a good thing as Lou really isn't that great anymore. The 4 tracks on this EP are pretty flawless. Magnus Larsson, the one man band behind Pet Politics, has a similar observational lyrical style to Lou Reed too. This is best demonstrated on "Provence" which is an ode to Southern France in which Larsson narrates a nostalgic tale that zips along at a frenetic pace akin to a speed rain. Can't fault this at all really.
- Nick Levine
Sci-fi Skåne consists of Thomas Öberg and Jonas Jonasson, both of Bob Hund/Bergman Rock fame. I used to be a very big fan of Bob Hund when I was younger, but lost interest in them about 7 years ago. Sci-fi Skåne has been described as 'synth blues', and that term alone makes me shiver. But it's in fact a fair description since this whole album is as horrible as those two ill-fitting words make me feel. It could have been better though. Last year Sci-fi Skåne released the single "Jag har aldrig bott vid en landsväg" which sounded like Bob Hund in the good old days, and that song alone is the reason why I decided to give this album a listen. But there's nothing to match that song on this album, what we get instead is just a bunch of dreary songs that makes me feel like I'm trapped in a hole full of old mustard while listening to them. I would gladly recommend Bob Hund's "Omslag: Martin Kann" for anyone who's interested in some fine Pere Ubu-like indierock sung in Swedish, but don't bother with this release, it's just a complete waste of time.
- Simon Tagestam
TSOOL are famously prolific, so no one's surprised that this b-sides/rarities compilation is a two-disc set (or that it was nominated for a Swedish Grammy). TSOOL are also famously talented, so there are songs here that other bands would love to have as a-sides or at least album tracks. B-sides often sound like afterthoughts, thrown together at the last minute. There are a few in that category on this release, like the sitar-noodling instrumentals "Playstation bordello" and "Cleaning session raga". But happily they're the exception, not the rule. Drawn-out rockers "Dow Jones syndrome" and "Galaxy gramophone" showcase frontman Ebbot Lundberg's ability to shift from a world-weary voice to a defiant yell and back as the songs dictate. I'm baffled as to how the brass-tinged epic "We're gonna get it right" wasn't/isn't a single, and the previously unreleased "Side effects" is a good softer, acoustic song with dreamlike synth playing from Martin Hederos. What's next from the group? "Origin, vol. 2", as originally intended? Hopefully something sooner rather than later.
- Matthew W. Smith
This record is so fragile it makes you want to walk around on tiptoes while listening to it, lest you disturb the mood. And that mood is Nordic--not the sunny daydream of Århus or Stockholm in July, but the frigid calm of Norway (or Iceland, or Finnish Lapland) in the dead of winter. Everything revolves around Ola Fløttum, whose delicate guitar and piano parts blend into his lilting voice, which drifts in and out of falsetto. Bassist/keyboardist Ulf Rodge and percussionist H.C. Almendingen add elements impressive in their subtlety, because they blend in seamlessly. Tracks like "The white birds" and "June" are experimental, dreamy and seemingly in slow motion, which have made Sigur Rós comparisons come fast and furious (though, to be fair, the Oslo trio has been around longer). There are plenty of differences between the two, especially in Fløttum's use of English lyrics. Those expecting a fast song every now and then will be frustrated; "Come up for air" never breaks from its wintertime pace, which adds even more fragility and beauty to this impressive release.
- Matthew W. Smith
Sorry, but I've tried to like this but even though there are some rather exciting moments here, the overall feeling I get from listening is boredom. 2005 was full of bands sounding like New Order, and 2006 looks like to be a(nother) year of Joy Division clones. The Bright & Shiny sound like a mix of both these British institutions, but unfortunately they're nowhere near as good. I might give them another shot in a couple of years though, since there's some potential to be found somewhere in these songs, but they're just not good enough for me to listen to them again.
- Simon Tagestam
The title track is a catchy little rocker. The beat is driving and the vocals are just gruff on the chorus enough to give the tune a bit more extra power than you'd normally expect to hear from these guys. Nice stuff. The b-sides however, well... they're b-sides. There's a good reason they didn't make the final cut for the forthcoming album.
- Avi Roig
This latest release from Sarah Assbring (aka El Perro Del Mar) isn't that different from her previous ones, but it's thankfully another step towards perfection. The title track itself is one of my favorite songs at the moment to hum along to while doing household chores, and "Do the dog" – the second track – is equally catchy and if there's a dance to go with it, I want someone to teach it to me. With Christmas now gone and winter torturing our souls with cold winds and dark days, we can hide under blankets, drink hot chocolate, listen to El Perro Del Mar, and smile enough to make the sun blush.
- Simon Tagestam
Ack! Someone put white-boy funk in my indierock! Actually, this isn't so bad. I've heard many similar, far more acclaimed bands that I found to be much, much worse. Still, don't look for these guys to be burning up the charts anytime soon. The music is decent, but the vocals are far from inspiring. His limited range isn't so much a problem as he just doesn't have the charisma to front a band of this style. Funk calls for personality and style, En Garde doesn't have it.
- Avi Roig
I guess we'll always have Paris. That is, bands LIKE Paris that are pretty good, pretty talented, pretty nice to listen to, but somehow a little less than transcendent. This Swedish quartet have made a second album that would be the envy of many lesser bands. The rhythm section is crack, and Annika's pipes are pleasing if sorta rote. Tunes alternate between ringing indie rock ala Elastica, Ladytron and a few others, and Annie-esque dance-pop like "60 minutes" and "Ladies man." And I dig the chiming guitars and retro-delica feel of "Something has to be done" very much. It all sounds dandy on the car stereo as you're zipping down the road, but I don't know...I just wasn't moved by Paris much. The down side of there being so many superb bands in Sweden is that you can be a perfectly fine little outfit, but if you don't have that extra edge, you suffer by comparison. And I just don't hear the edge in this band...not yet. Still better than lots of similar British and American bands, though. Maybe it'll be a grower, we'll see...
- Kevin Renick
Since I don't speak Swedish or any other Scandinavian language, it's sometimes difficult to find out information on bands that don't have an English version of their website. With folk/pop quintet Raymond & Maria, the website confirmed that "Maria" is the main vocalist, but I have no idea who "Raymond" is; the other band members are Camilla, Per, Johan and Staffan. Maybe it's some conceptual thing, I dunno. At any rate, this is a pleasant, melodic recording with seven tunes sung in English and three in Swedish. If the Indigo Girls knew when to end a song and had more vocal finesse, they might sound a bit like Raymond & Maria (also if they'd listened to a Blondie record or two). Maria has a sweet, natural voice and it makes the ear-friendly melodies of tunes like "No one notices your brand your new t-shirt" (terrific song), "They love you" and "Dumb again" just soar. With hand-clap percussion and crisply recorded acoustic strumming, these bouncy songs keep you hooked while an underlying sense of familiarity will have you wondering where you've heard the melodies before. You probably haven't, but once the modest charms of this disc take hold, you're liable to get very familiar with Raymond and Maria's ingratiating sound. Nice, sunny day acoustic pop.
[ed: I do believe that this disc is a special int'l promo compiling the group's newer English-language material with a few older Swedish tracks.]
- Kevin Renick
One musician taking charge of their personal arsenal of technology can be a mighty impressive thing. Sophie Rimheden, one of Sweden's cutting-edge electronica artists, creates a dizzying mix of sound on her self-titled third album, yet there's a clear sense of purpose and a tight focus that prevent the disc from ever sounding self-indulgent (a problem I had with some tracks on her previous album). Rimheden employs a trademark multi-tracked harmony sound on these 13 tracks which is often deliriously enjoyable, along with peppy rhythms and fairly straightforward synths. But the arrangements are certainly not formulaic. My favorite song is "The real way," a genuine classic on which a rather eccentric lead vocal, a cool chugging rhythm track and a layered harmony chorus combine to spine-tingling effect. The infectious "ba ba's" and simple rhythms that permeate this record show a disciplined craftswoman at work, while there are curious surprises in the arrangements and overall mix. You're loopy in the best way, Sophie, m'dear, and this is a nifty little platter.
- Kevin Renick
I was stunned when I learned that Sweden's Cake on Cake would be performing at a tiny coffeehouse here in St. Louis. Hey, it ain't cheap to fly newbie artists over from Scandinavia, and clearly, the profit margin won't be high playing at venues with a capacity of a mere coupla dozen enthusiasts. Nonetheless, Helena Sundin, who pretty much IS Cake on Cake (assisted by label boss and sideman Josh Penn onstage), was here in the flesh, and I couldn't have been more delighted. "I see no stars", Cake on Cake's debut, manages to be both lush and lo-fi at the same time: Sundin plays all manner of instruments on the disc, with piano, metallophone and melodica the prominent musical elements. Sundin overdubs harmonies, but for the live show, Penn sang the harmony parts (and a couple of tunes featured tape loops over which Sundin sang and played along). Early problems with mic feedback were handled deftly and charmingly by Sundin; she just patiently waited for Radio Cherokee's sound guys to get it right. The music was sweet, sincere and melodic. Sundin played about ten songs and her wispy, girlish vocals had the rapt attention of the small crowd. Highlights included "Pictures from 1964" (about "the time when my mom was young"), the curiously titled "Fell asleep like an acrobat, woke up like a rock" (which Sundin said was about going out to night clubs) and the sublime "Animals and humans", which was delightfully quirky and managed to make Sundin thoroughly compelling simply by doing an elementary rhythm part with an egg maraca. Sundin's cover of Mojave 3's "Tomorrow's taken" had an extra emotional edge, as she told everyone how much she liked the song, and clearly it had some deep personal connection for her. It's always amazing to me to see artists get a full piano sound out of a tiny onstage electronic keyboard, and Sundin made the most of hers, serving up one childlike little melody after another. She's a soft breeze of an artist, this woman, and despite the modest presentation of both her CD and her onstage performance, Sundin has a substantial, multi-faceted talent that is sure to only get more interesting as time goes on. I left utterly entranced.
- Kevin Renick
Sometimes it feels as if I haven't listening to anything but male Scandinavian singer-songwriters this year, and now with the UK radio playing José González every two seconds, I'm not even left alone in the office from these boys with guitars and broken hearts. Thomas Denver Jonsson has fortunately done a solid album that is very similar to the work of über singer-songwriter Will Oldham (whose brother features on the album). There are a lot of great melodies on "Barely touching it" and one of my personal favourites is "Dance floor borders" because of its heavy Neil Young vibe. It would be cool if José González, Christian Kjellvander and Thomas Denver Jonsson all could go out on tour together – what a showcase for mellow Swedish music that would be!
- Simon Tagestam
Christian Kjellvander
El Perro Del Mar