PopMatters on the US release of Loney, Dear's "Sologne": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/50371/loney-dear-sologne/
Tag: Reviews
Irene
Long gone since last summer
Labrador
A year after their first long-player "Apple Bay", Irene have delivered their second, disappointingly slower album "Long gone since last summer". Having enjoyed the songwriting and tempo of their first album, as well as this album's lead single "By your side", I was a bit shocked to see the tempo grind to a halt. Most of the songs are slower, and frankly, for their sound, I don't find it to be the most successful method of the band organizing their ideas. They tend to resemble Motown ballads as opposed to the swinging pop that brought "Apple Bay" to life. I think it's because "Long gone since last summer" has such an autumn feel too, but when compared to the bleak sounds of others, Irene just seems a tad overwrought.
- Matt Giordano
Ink19 reviews Zweizz: https://www.ink19.com/issues/november2007/musicReviews/musicZ/zweizz.html
Peter Morén (Peter Bjorn and John) did a "surprise" solo show the other night in Brooklyn and you can read about it here: https://poptartssucktoasted.blogspot.com/2007/11/peter-moren-union-hall-119.html
Sara Berg
When I was a young child I used to feel pleasure from playing with others
Gaymonkey
Where once the market was well and truly saturated with young men, heavy hearts, and acoustic ballads, the scene today has its fair share of Björk inspired vocalists, each with an electronic orchestra backing their efforts - Imogen Heap, Bat for Lashes, and The Knife (to an extent, though Karin Dreijer Andersson's collaboration with Röyksopp on their single "What else is there?" may be a better example), amongst others. Sara Berg has now interjected herself into these ranks with "When I was a young child I used to feel pleasure from playing with others", an album that carefully carries itself along a number of precipitous lines - attempting explorations of darkness and pop flash, featuring pliable organic elements alongside rough digital instrumentation, drawing as much from the fluid approach of Björk's records as from The Knife's sinister focus, with Berg's voice unfolding her range and varying tones throughout this lofty attempt. The whole is definitely not as well put together as many of its parts, "Crawl back from under" and "This can't be desire" being two of the finest examples, but Berg is a talent worth keeping one's eye on. She may not have hammered the point home on this effort, but there's every reason to believe that she will, and soon.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
PopMatters reviews the new Hives album: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/50782/the-hives-the-black-and-white-album/
Pitchfork reviews "Karhunainen", the latest album from Vladislav Delay/Luomo/Sasu Ripatti, this time under the alias of Uusitalo: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/46524-karhunainen
Per Gessle
En händig man
EMI
It's a shame that the only artist from my hometown ever becoming really famous is Per Gessle (of Gyllene Tider and Roxette fame, if you're German I'm sure you know who I'm talking about). It's him and maybe Michael Arnott (Spiritual Beggars / Arch Enemy / Carcass). When I was around 6-7 years old, I was a big fan of Per Gessle's music, and listening to his latest album "En händig man", I can sort of see why I dug this guy all those years ago. The lyrics are often pathetic, but there's a nursery rhyme-feel to both them and the music that explains why they would appeal to someone who plays with Tranformers and spends most of his days drawing birds (cuckoos, specifically, not girls as in English slang) in various sci-fi warrior uniforms. It's sort of sad that Per Gessle, who seems like a nice guy that likes some great music, only will be remembered for making pap like this. "En händig man" is a dreadful album, even worse than the best material Gessle's ever written.
- Simon Tagestam
Jens Lekman
Live @ Webster Hall, NYC, 10/27/07
I'm not going to lie, I was a tad sceptical on how Jens' would perform, as I'd never seen him before. Needless to say, I was quite impressed. The true stand-out were his vocals, which on the record tend to hit some off notes, yet live, his voice carried and controlled the songs in a confident fashion. With a top notch (mostly all female) backing band, songs from his three albums were mixed about in the set, playing "You are the light", "Black cab" and "Maple leaves" to full applause, as well as "Sipping the sweet nectar" and "The opposite of hallelujah" from the new album "Night falls over Kortedala". The highlight though, had to be "A postcard to Nina" in it's almost overly maudlin aura. Combined with his witty banter, Jens held the crowd's attention so much so Webster Hall was strangely silent during his performance. Arguably, one of the most enjoyable shows I've seen all year.
- Matt Giordano
PopMatters reviews the international release of Mixtapes & Cellmates' self-titled debut album: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/50465/mixtapes-and-cellmates-mixtapes-and-cellmates/
Eric Malmberg
Verklighet & beat
Häpna
Eric Malmberg creates extremely visual music, almost to the point where "Verklighet & beat" feels as though it would have been better suited as the soundtrack to a bizarre 60s film than a musical effort alone. Sadly, this may be the only true failing of this record, and it seems unfair to level it against an obviously talented composer and musician, especially on a record produced by Jari Haapalainen (The Bear Quartet) and featuring Swedish organ phenomenon Bo Hansson. "Verklighet & beat" would be a wonderful companion to a 60s novel, especially anything exploring the European segment of this decade or the stereotypical "consciousness expansion" facets of those lost years, and it has been a strange escort towards those shadowy hallways of sleep, but other than in these capacities, I'm not sure how versatile Malmberg's record really is. Obviously the work of a damned gifted artists, "Verklighet & beat" is comparable to a cinematic masterpiece - powerful works when one is in the right setting and mood, but how many times can you really watch a film like "Requiem for a dream"? And could you watch that film on a sunny, beautiful day lost in the Caribbean? Likewise, "Verklighet & beat" is dazzling, but limited.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
The Finest Kiss weighs in with a much more thorough appraisal of Tuesday's Jens Lekman show in Seattle: https://finestkiss.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/charmed-im-sure/
Alarmrock
5 skott i pikkan
Beat Butchers
The teenagers in Alarmrock play infectious ska tinted punk, pretty much like Anders "Moneybrother" Wedin's old band Monster did, with brass and all that comes with it. Although these kids sing in Swedish which, in combination with their left-wing lyrics, kind of makes them into a ska Ebba Grön. I'm sure they're a riot live, listening to them on record is a bit frustrating since it just makes me wish I was seeing them live instead. It's definitely not original, nor are these songs amazing enough to earn Alarmrock a place within the higher strata of the ska punk genre. It bodes well though -there's no way I'll miss seeing these guys if I ever get the chance, there's just too much energy here to ignore.
- Simon Tagestam
Pitchfork reviews the new Sigur Rós: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/46876-hvarfheim