"Come with me" = Best new music
CEO's premiere single "Come with me" got best-listed at Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11904-come-with-me/
Tag: Reviews
PopMatters reviews Erik Hassle
PopMatters reviews Swedish pop artist Erik Hassle and his album "Pieces", his UK release: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/123309-erik-hassle-pieces
Free Jazz on Swedish Azz, Originalljudet
The Free Jazz blog reviews the new vinyl-only release "Jazz på Svenska" from Swedish Azz (yet another act featuring Mats Gustafsson): https://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2010/05/swedish-azz-jazz-pa-svenska-not-two.html
Also reviewed, Originalljudet's excellent self-titled release on : https://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2010/05/originalljudet-kalligrammofon-2010.html
Moto Boy
Lost in the call
Songs I Wish I Had Written
Moto Boy's music has been described as "desperate pop" which, for both hopeless romantics and cynics, might be the only review needed. Like Rufus Wainwright with his needle permanently stuck in a 1980s groove, Oskar Humlebo deftly mines the depths of his angst, squeezing out every drop of sympathy, even when his sweet falsetto trips over some of the stupidest of sentiments. (Case in point: the borderline insipid chorus of "If only your bed could cry") While not as instantly as inviting as 2008's ethereal EP "For Martha", "Lost in the call" provides another satisfying chapter in Humlebo's ongoing bid to become the Scandinavian Morrissey. When he cuts himself on lines such as "There is no life without you any way" ("Early grave"), prepare to bleed.
But how much heartache can one man take? By the album's midway point Humlebo's wounded theatrics threaten to wear thin. However, just when the outing is in danger of becoming a one-note pity party, he unleashes the haunting orchestral piece "Siekas", ushering in the delicate reflection of "Nite time is my time" and saving the project from certain stagnation. The high energy "When my heart was high" may not break any new ground, but it's jammed with the sort of morose cheer you can vigorously sway -- if not dance -- to. Then there's closer "The way I feel tonite", a send-off so gloriously delicate, Humlebo is guaranteed to leave more than a fare share of listeners with a lump in their throat and a tear in their eyes.
- Laura Studarus
Pitchfork says new Robyn is best new music
Pitchfork gives high marks to Robyn's new album "Body talk pt. 1": https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14294-body-talk-pt-1/
It took me a few listens to get into it myself, but I definitely love it now.
Kaskas
In the meantime
self-released
Once upon a time, Yo La Tengo headed north. As the days became longer and winter gave way into spring, their songs became popper and more optimistic. And still they traveled, finally making their new home in Helsinki and renaming themselves Kaskas. No?
Okay, how 'bout this one? Kaskas is "the little side project that could." An accidental success, their debut full-length "In the meantime" marries slacker rock, charming pop, lounge groves and fuzzy freak-outs together into a surprisingly agreeable sonic stew. A bit too experimental (and clever) for the mainstream, and a bit too classic to be labeled "art rock," the Finnish quartet seems bent on carving out a new niche. And even though it's still a stone's throw from cohesive, they couldn't offer a more enticing first introduction. Vintage organs play with jangly guitar and tussle with raw percussion dotted with electronic beeps. Every song, from the 1970s smoking lounge opener "Night express 84", to the surf-ready melodies of "Fidel", to the bizarre spoken-word elements of "La tete", play like another avenue for potential exploration. While this leaves the listener with little to no idea who these guys might be (Slackers? Music students? Retro worshipers?), it's exciting to wonder what they'll try next. A fight to the indie death with a certain New Jersey trio perhaps?
- Laura Studarus
Clash Music reviews SPOT
Clash Music reports back from this year's SPOT Festival in Aarhus, Denmark: https://www.clashmusic.com/live-review/spot-festival
PopMatters reviews The Amazing
The Amazing's new release "Wait for a light to come" does not live up to PopMatters' expectations: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/125643-the-amazing-wait-for-a-light-to-come
The Silent Ballet reviews Lis er Stille
The Silent Ballet reviews the new album "The collibro" from Danish postrock act Lis er Stille: https://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/3381/Default.aspx
Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson
s/t ("Puzzle" and "The detective")
How Is Annie Records
Let's get this out of the way: Yes, many critics are spot on when comparing Norway's Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson to both Appleseed Cast and Explosions in the Sky; if anything, this is about as apt a correlation as one can make. But as talented as both those groups are, there is a lot of territory left to explore between them, and Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson do a fantastic job rambling through this attractive region. On this self-titled release (split into two different parts: "Puzzle" and "The detective"), that hard to define, yet unmistakable sound that American labels like and made their names promoting is deftly evoked and subtly expanded, demonstrating that there is still plenty more room to grow in this particular subgenre without sacrificing any of the '90s indie nostalgia (an aspect the warm, analog-like recording quality helps to enhance). "Puzzle" and "The detective" are triumphant achievements, their contents mingling the contemplative with the immediate, the ethereal with the tangible, and all on YPOFH's own terms. Instead of being merely an echo of the past, YPOFH are very much their own voice, and one well worth listening to.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Torsten Larsen
The big payoff
Morningside Records
The subtitle to "The big payoff" should adequately prepare you for the contents of Torsten Larsen's (of Larsen & Furious Jane) album: "A collection of low-fidelity demos 2005-2008". This three-year period covers the time Larsen & Furious Jane spent on their exceptional album "Zen sucker". Demo recordings are typically the territory of diehards, those who want to hear the evolution of an artist's or a band's songwriting from the early drafts to the finished product, and there is an element of this on "The big payoff" -- the bare bones of tracks like "Tisminton" and "Oh, Perrey Reeves" may well prove only beneficial to serious Larsen & Furious Jane converts -- but there is also a decent amount of material that feels misplaced. Opener "Surrender" is among the strongest of these recordings, and one can't help but feel disappointed that it never found its way onto "Zen sucker". It's difficult to be terribly critical of "The big payoff": at its worst the recording acts a rough prequel to a fantastic album and at its best it feels like a collection of solid b-sides. The fact that is offering "The big payoff" for free doesn't hurt either.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Dusted reviews "One-armed bandit"
Dusted reviews "One-armed bandit", the latest album from Jaga Jazzist: https://dustedmagazine.com/reviews/5721
Hafdis Huld
Synchronised swimmers
Snow Angel Records
Hafdis Huld has the kind of voice that immediately evokes sugar, spice, and everything nice. One part Ali Howard (Lucky Soul), three parts summer of love; it's the kind of instrument that seems intent on landing her sophomore album "Synchronised swimmers" directly into schlock territory. Thankfully, Huld seems intent on playing against type, crafting indie folk that's as unexpectedly playful as it is sweet. From "Könguló"'s angular island beats to the understated banjo of "Action man", there's enough subtle variation to skirt syrup and assure that Huld is the real deal. Really.
Now if only she had something to say. While "slice of life" lyrics aren't inherently off-putting, (Hey, it's done wonders for Laura Marling) the troupe only works if you attach greater meaning. Or, any meaning. Instead of delving into what it's all about, we skim across the surface, getting dime-a-dozen realizations such as "It hurts to be happy" and "Everything is basic in a town like this, you get your picture in a paper if you catch a fish." Solid beginnings sure, but one wonders what a stronger lyricist could have made of them. Even the most interesting track "Robot robot" feels like a retread, playing like a thematic kissing cousin to The Dresden Dolls' "Coin operated boy". Rather than illuminate your life, Huld seems to have settled for shedding a few rays of sunshine into an afternoon.
- Laura Studarus
Under the Radar on "The people's record"
Under the Radar reviews Club 8's newest release: https://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/the_peoples_record/
Pitchfork reviews Under Byen
Pitchfork reviews the new Under Byen album "Alt er tabt": https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14236-alt-er-tabt/