Loney, Dear: Sologne - Album Review

I wish I could start by telling you what the name of the band means. However, I can't.... Sologne, however, is a region in north-central France.

What I can tell you is that this band which is, in the main, the creation of Emil Svanangen is full of very personal songs. The beauty of the album is that Emil has artistic freedom and there are no shoe-horns into any category, style and you feel like this is an album created just as he wanted it. After all he did record it in his home.

The opening song "The Battle of Trinidad and Tobago" has Emil's quivering, beautifully imperfect voice, atmospheric guitars and backing voices building up to a mini-crescendo, then fading out into the distance along with the whistling and the "marching" drums. The 2nd track is another slower number "Where are you go go going to". As the title suggests the first syllable of many words are repeated. Personally I find this annoying, however by the end of the track you have a good idea of the quality coming on the rest of the album.

"The City, The Airport" is a upbeat, catchy tune with chanting, horns, drums, everything. It grows and grows with more instruments and you want it to continue forever.

There is a variety of sound on this album which makes it very easy to listen to all the way through without getting bored.

All in all a very good effort from another of Sweden's exports. True to his own style, this album reflects very well on Loney, Dear.


Loney, Dear website: www.loneydear.com
Myspace Page: www.myspace.com/loneydear

I'm From Barcelona: Let Me Introduce My Friends - Album Review

This 29 piece, child-like Swedish group have produced a pop album that is layered in unashamedly happy sing-along tunes to brighten the worst of days. I know that sounds cheesy, but this band manages to make it acceptable to be like a kid.

From the first track Oversleeping, which starts with an alarm clock and someone turning it off to the energetic line "Daaamn, oversleeping again". The riffs are upbeat and the chorus infectious.

I saw this band live in September and there were "only" 22 of them on stage. The lead singer was wearing a New Kids On the Block cap and they were all jumping around on stage singing. They sure woke us up at 12am!

Then there is "Collection of Stamps" a song about stamps from different countries of the world. The chorus is "You know I can't believe I'm telling everyone that I know, that every stamp in my collection is a place we could go"

Having heard a few of their songs live, I was intrigued and bought their album. I was expecting their live tracks to be the highlights of the album, but I was amazed at the pure life they excude on the whole album. Every band member contributes with an instrument or two and they ALL sing. With horns, glockenspiel, an omnichord, ukulele and skull shakers, the sound produced is rich and uplifting.

One of the final songs The Saddest Lullaby is about a little kid not knowing what is happening and being confused and sad. At the end of the song, you find out the kid who "fell asleep and wet my bed." This is the slowest track on the album.

Overall, listening to this album in the morning will start your day well and give you a lift on the way to work, will brighten your life and you will be better for it.


I'm From Barcelona website: www.imfrombarcelona.com
Myspace Page:
www.myspace.com/imfrombarcelona