Jeremiha
Too much is never enough
Dead Frog Records
Jeremiha's debut is a radio-friendly, stadium-ready collection of anthemic synth-pop reminiscent of Duran Duran in their heyday. The sound comes on strong and stays that way right through to the end. The mood never wavers, the singer's got a nice deep voice, and the music is melodic and catchy. I can imagine it blaring from speakers at swimming pools everywhere this summer. But lyrics like "all I want is your touch/it's too much/it's never enough" and "it feels like strangers when we kiss/there must be more to life than this" exemplify how little originality there is here. Churning out solid versions of familiar sounds has made rock stars out of plenty of bands before them, and maybe it'll work for them too. But if you like Swedish music on account of its off-kilter edge, steer clear.
- Nancy Baym