New Decade
Hush
self-released

There've been a few accidentally discovered wonders this year for me, though I am not sure how many will retain the presence that New Decade's "Hush EP" exudes from start to finish when all's said and done. Easily likened to the oft overlooked North Carolinians Cities, these Swedes' creations radiate youthful sparks, trampling the line between the dour outlook of Interpol and the contemplative chaos that was Archers of Loaf. The emptiness habitually found in introspective numbers is funneled through a more hopeful filter on "Hush"; considered, brooded over, and elated in the final moments of the songs. New Decade have a near flawless delivery: their songs are timed and tempered almost perfectly, waters are muddied and built up before allowing the waves of distorted and delay to consume the compositions. Emil Lundblad's voice is as powerful an apparatus as the beautifully entangled guitar lines or the backline power of the drums and bass, never having to strain to exist alongside the augmenting storms of instrumentation. "I guess you ran from something" and "While tonight still is" are my favorites so far, especially the examinations of unstable, dynamic emotions captured by static photographs in the latter's lyrics (some of the best I've heard from a vocalist for whom English is a second language), though the others barely lag behind. The only downside is the fact it is merely an EP. Putting "Hush" on repeat will quell my desire for more until New Decade reenter the studio, hopefully on the roster of any label smart enough to pick them up.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Sahara Hotnights - Visit to Vienna
02. TALK 1
03. José González - Down the line
04. Anna Ternheim - Girl laying down
05. The Bear Quartet - The supremes
06. TALK 2
07. New Decade - I guess you ran from something
08. Commando M Pigg - Allt genast
09. Mikkel Metal - Bano
10. TALK 3
11. Johan Hedberg - Nygubbe4
12. Mikko Singh - Toisella puolella
13. Mimas - Thought discuss
14. Fattaru - 100:-
15. TALK 4
16. Sista Sekunden - Jag är aldrig nöjd
17. E.S.T. - Tuesday wonderland
18. Syster Lycklig - Drömgränd
19. TALK 5
20. The End Will Be Kicks - Ass of a friend
21. The Grizzly Twister - Tigers made of paper
22. Samuel Jackson Five - Easily misunderstood
23. Grande Roses - Dead town
24. TALK 6
25. Thomas Dybdahl - B A part
26. Njurmännen - Cold meat industry
27. Tobias Hellkvist - Moment at ven
28. TALK 7
29. David Sandström Overdrive - Here's for summer
30. Randy - Freedom song
31. Kalle J - Vart stack du?
32. The Flaming Sideburns - Bad trip
33. TALK 8
34. The Bell - I am history
35. Lack - Pessimist poetry
36. The State of Floral Beings - Andy
37. Fireside - Problem (to you)
38. TALK 9
39. Firefox AK - Love to run
40. Manes - Cinder alley
41. Lukestar - Untitled
42. TALK 10
43. Oskar Schönning - S

MP3: New Decade - While tonight still is

Finally, back to some new music. New Decade is a fairly typical melancholy rock quartet from Stockholm. You get your twin shimmering guitars, steady pulsing bass and impassioned, slightly buried vocals. They're not the first, they won't be the last, but they do it well. Sometimes that's enough. However, they do throw in enough subtle and unexpected melodic twists to elevate them above the rabble. Listen to the extended instrumental section at the end of this song to hear what I'm talking about. It's those slightly dissonant harmonies that help build tension and give it that Swedish sound. It's not quite enough to earn them a wholehearted recommendation, but it's decent enough for a debut.

New Decade - While tonight still is

New Decade has posted an English translation of their interview from Emodreng & Indiepige: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=67157963&blogID=298238661