Shout Out Louds - "Howl Howl Gaff Gaff" (Bud Fox)
To be completely honest, this record really surprised me. The previous EP didn't exactly blow my socks off, so I wasn't really expecting too much. Which is not to say it was bad, because it wasn't - it just didn't seem like the band had it in 'em to rise above mediocrity. So yeah, this CD is some decent Swedish pop rock. The uptempo garage rock stuff from the EP is still here on quite a few tracks, but I think those are actually the weaker songs. I prefer the slower mid-paced, more Broder Daniel-esque stuff, such as the opener "The Comeback" (probably my fave song on the record). The singer can tend to sound a bit like Elmer Fudd at times, but I consider it to be part of his charms. I also like the simple, three-color artwork, too. Though not amazing, it's far far better than similarly styled stuff like the new Bad Cash Quartet. Even at just 40 minutes, I think they could've trimmed it by a song or two.