Top 10s for 2005: Matthew W. Smith

Top fives: 2005 so far

Loopy
Smile back home
EMI/Zip Records

Loopy is destined for the in-flight music program on Scandinavian Airlines. The Copenhagen-based group represents all of SAS's constituents: it features a Danish bassist and guitarist, a Swedish drummer and a Norwegian singer/guitarist. More importantly, the band has created a noteworthy debut album that blends UK-style guitar pop (think Snow Patrol) with some surprises. The melancholy title track meanders most of the way, before drummer Mathias Elovsson speeds up the tempo considerably and brings the song to a crashing halt. The top-notch "Never loud" is oh-so-minor key, showcasing soulful vocals from Leiv Aasen. A few songs get needlessly repetitive (like "Morning Star"), but the spacy "Silent Song" (which sounds a bit like Slowdive) makes up for it. The blend of shoegazer and pop on such well-constructed songs makes Loopy a band I'll have my eye on.
- Matthew W. Smith

San Francisco's own Zip Records will release new albums from Swedes Dorian Gray and Henrik Levy this coming October. Also in the works for early 2005 is an album from Denmark's Loopy called "Smile Back Home".