Kaka
s/t
Despotz Records
I was a huge fan of The Mo, so listening to the solo debut of Richard Karlsson, the band's former keyboardist, was a real treat. It's always interesting hearing solo stuff from an ex-band member who wasn't the frontman. Sure, Karlsson's vocals were all over The Mo sound, from background to chorus, but would his own music be a carbon copy of his former band? It turns out that, while still retaining a lot of what made The Mo work so well as a pop band, Karlsson strikes out on its own, borrowing heavily from electronica and international rhythms including a surprising reggae influence. This is most clearly evidenced in songs like "It's a longshot" and "What a frame", which could be classified as reggaetronica, if such a thing even exists. Think The Tough Alliance with a brighter, more immediate pop sound. Though the album does get repetitive towards the end, the strength of the melodies coupled with the simplicity of the production makes this a very promising solo debut.
- Nick James
