Tag: Reviews
It's taken me a long time to appreciate Jens Lekman. I still think his older material tends to be fairly weak, but I grudgingly admit that he has gotten much much better with time. In listening to his latest limited edition tour EP, I think I've figured out the reason for my change of heart: When Lekman eschews production tricks and lets his songs stand on their own, he shines. Whether it's the simple accompaniment of ukulele or piano, it works wonders for his material. On the other hand, the spoken word piece "How much you mean to me" is unlistenable garbage, but there's barely anyone who can pull something like that off, so I'll let it slide. I also think I prefer it when Jens sings in his native Swedish. He sounds so much more comfortable, more laidback. Keep making music like this and I'll definitely be a fan.
- Avi Roig
Son of a Plumber is no other than – hold your breath - Per Gessle from Roxette. You don't know who Roxette are? Well, you should count yourself lucky. Roxette were pretty big (especially in Germany) throughout the late 80s and early 90s. Their peak must have been when the monster hit "It must have been love" was featured on the "Pretty Woman" soundtrack. Per Gessle is always portrayed in the Swedish press as this dude with a massive – hold your breath, again - music collection and he seems to be totally in love with "Nuggets"-type music. Unfortunately, I don't think any of his compositions will ever be featured on one of the Nuggets compilations. This album is horrible and it reminds me of Roxette and the worst things about the 80s.
- Simon Tagestam
I'm sure lots of (Swedish) dads will get this album as a present this Christmas. You see, Joakim Thåström is very much a legend in Sweden. He started out playing guitar and singing in the excellent punk band Ebba Grön who were active in the late 70s and early 80s, when they released some magnificent records that still sound crazy nice, even if you don't speak Swedish. After Ebba Grön, he fronted Imperiet (more new wave/romantic than punk), then he went on to do some solo albums (most of which were influenced by industrial music). His latest offering is something of a nostalgia trip that deals with his past in almost every song, and the music is very "back to basics", acoustic guitar based and melodic. All in all, "Skebokvarnsv. 209" is a bluesy and mellow affair that suits dark winter nights perfectly, and even if it now and then feels a bit naff, I enjoy the album's cheesiness. At one stage when I was a kid Ebba Grön was the only thing I listened to, but I never really got into Thåström's other stuff, so it's a bit surprising that I like most of the songs on here as much as I do, but I do, I really do, whether or not this got anything to do with nostalgia from my part I do not know nor care about.
- Simon Tagestam
Uncle's Institution is basically Egil Olsen, Norway's answer to Iceland's Mugison and Gisli. "Yet another Scandinavian Beck soundalike, then!" you might retort. Well, yes, and no, it's quite unfair to dismiss to Uncle's Institution as nothing but a Beck copycat, they also sound a lot like Eels. Recently people have lamented a lot about how the age of the mp3 might mean "the death of the album", and I'm definitely one of the people who will weep at the album's funeral. This is why it feels like a waste when artists make an album that sounds like a various artists' compilation, instead of making a proper full length where all the songs live together in harmony. Despite this little exasperation, I can see a lot of people getting into this album and feeling very "hip" listening to it. There are some great ideas here, all carried out with a bit of flair, but the whole product is just way too superficial and forced, no matter how many great hooks/choruses Egil has managed to squeeze into 35 minutes.
- Simon Tagestam
Electronica and guitars has been combined numerous times in the past decade, with varying results. Baron Bane do it in a Crystal Method style, although less big beat and more downbeat, although the big beat creeps its head in from time to time. One song is a dead ringer of The Gathering. It is not that good, not that bad either, but you feel like you are going to hear Richard Patrick or Beth Gibbons any moment. They totally lack a sound of their own.
- Simon Thibaudeau
Brighter Death Now has been a revelation to me in the past, perhaps the most important noise artist to me. Roger Karmanik has, in my opinion, a stature equivalent to one of the most recognizable name in noise: Merzbow. "Kamikaze kabaret" reveals a BDN that is more accessible than ever and that goes back to a simpler sound, more alike Throbbing Gristle's experiments but taken to a level of refinements way beyond what TG was doing. Great record.
- Simon Thibaudeau
Just when I start thinking that I never need to hear another Swedish melancholy rock band, along comes someone new that makes me take pause. Debonair's four-song demo shows serious potential. It's still a tad derivative, but the songs are strong and the recording is stellar. Give them a bit more time to develop their own personality and I think they've got a good chance to turn into something special.
- Avi Roig
You should know by now that I'm quite fond of noisy, angular indierock, so it's always nice to hear new acts keeping the torch lit. Despite the somewhat dubious name, tISE do a decent job with the classic Chicago/Touch & Go sound, adding in their own individual touches of artfullness. They start to lose me on the tracks where they get too overwhelmingly frenetic and funky, but the more mid-tempo material such as "Buzzcut" is rock-solid. Sometimes less is more, y'know?
- Avi Roig
Suddenly I am thrown back 15 years and listening to a Dead Milkmen record. Not a good one at that. For those not in the know, the Milkmen were this low-fi punk rock band from the eighties that had a large cult following and none of the songs to back it up. Mother Goose have the same problem. It is all good to have a defined sound, but songwriting is important too.
- Simon Thibaudeau
The noise is not to be found here, rather what is on this record is a lot of good pop songs that cover a wide range of genre such as post-punk, punk, folk and rock. Mostly based around voice and acoustic guitar it doesn't sound like a singer-songwriter gone lonely. Sounds a lot like David and the Citizens, which is not a bad comparison to be afflicted with. Not bad.
- Simon Thibaudeau
National have become known mostly for being a reissue label, be it Allan Edwall or Pugh Rogefeldt. And when they do sign a band that still exists, they usually are a bit dull to be frank. Alice In Videoland is no exception. I guess AiV going for some kind of Fischerspooner-ish electroclash, but the production sounds cheap and out of date. Come on man, it's fucking 2005, not 1985. However, lead singer Toril Lindqvist was voted 73'd sexiest woman by sleazy magazine Slitz and that's got to count for something, huh?
- Johanna Smith
Like many of you, I first heard the Norwegian dream pop of The Lionheart Brothers on "It's a Trap! readers companion volume one". That track, "I burn myself on you", is a stunning, bittersweet symphonic gem--easily one of the best songs I heard last year. It was part of the 2004 EP "Colour contrast context", which has been combined with the Brothers' 2003 debut, "White angel black apple", for this reissue. The other three tracks from that EP boast lots of strings over a dreamy soundscape, especially "Time river floaty". Standout tracks from the debut, like "The pole dilemma" and "The sun in my eyes", share the gorgeous melodies of their follow-up, but the songs are more upfront, more electric guitar driven. Interestingly, for a band with a clear spiritual focus (e.g., "Feed me Eden"), the Lionheart Brothers are at their best when the vocals blend in like any another instrument in the mix, and it doesn't matter if the words are understandable or not. That the same band who did "I burn myself on you" can pull off the spacey, loud "Love ludicrous" is a testament to the talents of Marcus Forsgren, Audun Storset and their new bandmates.
- Matthew W. Smith
Loch Ness Mouse sounds like Steely Dan. A lot like Steely Dan. The Norwegian quintet, with its first release since 2002's "Key West", offers another set of well-constructed pop songs that sound destined for 70s radio--thirty years too late, in this case. The Åleskjær brothers channel Becker and Fagen throughout the album, especially on "Golden trumpets, silver saxophones". If jazzy soft rock is your thing, look no further than "11-22" -- unless you already have anything by Steely Dan, that is...
- Matthew W. Smith
I've never heard of Sterling before (pardon my ignorance), but judging from these 6 tracks, they might sport beards, and they're definitely Danish (or very wacky non-Danish people). This reminds me a lot of The Shins and the first stand-out track ("Ubesvarat Opkald") almost sounds like a The Shins cover, but sung in Danish (all of these songs are sung in Danish, fortunately it sounds ok). Now and then Sterling come across as a bit dated ("Koldbrand" sounds like some dodgy ballad from the 80s, and "Vinterfobi" has some quite tedious vocoder parts), but in general this EP is a bit above average, thanks to the first song.
- Simon Tagestam
Red Carpet