Laakso
Mämmilärock
Bale

So, I finally got my hands on the almighty Laakso's other release this year, "Mämmilärock", and although it involved an iTunes purchase (which means no artwork), I'm still rather pleased. The main difference with this album is the obvious language choice, as this is mostly all in Finnish; also, this album was recorded almost two years prior to its release this April (which coincided with the release of "Mother, am I good looking?" in Finland). Needless to say, it does not disappoint. From the balls-out rocker "Stockholm rock city" to mid-tempo, yet very catchy "See you in Huhtikuu" and "Hetkinen juice leskinen" to the heavy Eastern European influence on "Unelmia oli" and "Hurrin hurjaa elämää", Laakso is consistently at the top of their game. Although there is a slight language barrier on my part, Laakso has again produced another stellar album, and continues to cement their place in the upper echelon of Scandinavian music.
- Matt Giordano