Niccokick
The good times we shared, were they so bad?
Startracks
Niccokick don't seem to have changed much since I last saw them live with Snook four years ago (no, not in Uppsala). They still very much embody the typical sound of "Swedish" indie-rock with its anthemic melodies and carpets of distorted guitars. Singer Andreas Söderlund has been pretty active in the meantime (in sideproject Sounds like Violence and as producer of acts such as Hello Saferide and David and the Citizens) and it shows. Niccokick's sound is more diverse on their second LP than previously -- the additional synths and the odd cello have definitely helped. And while Andreas' voice comes across as desperate as ever, it's nice to hear him cover other emotions as well. The songwriting is similarly passionate and direct, yet never embarrassing, and generally very dancable and catchy. Actually, that's also the record's main problem: all that energy, passion, and directness can become a bit too much at times. It's still a very good indierock album though, great for the
dancefloor and probably even better when performed live on stage.
- Arnulf Köhncke
