Fint Tillsammans
s/t
Silence
This is the third full-length platter from Sweden's Fint Tillsammans, and it's a quirky, hour-long delight. The trio sing in Swedish, which might be tough on some listeners (not THIS one, though). But there's so much variety in the music-which ranges from jangly folk-pop to romantic ballads to oddball art rock-that all but those who like staring at a lyric sheet while listening should be able to enjoy it. There are 17 tunes, crafted with subtlety and ingenuity by Henrik Wiklund, Martin Stensö and Henrik Svensson. When I make notes for a review, I usually mark a little star next to tunes that rise above the norm. Ten FT songs earned that distinction for me, which is pretty impressive. Among the highlights: the infectious rhythm, subtle vocals and zippy burst of retro-sounding guitar on "Somna om", the amusing "Dududududududu", the wistfully lovely ballad "Tank om", the timeless-sounding melody and clear, intimate vocal on "Regnet regnar langsamt" (a good one to play for your date if you wanna create a romantic mood) and the foot-tapping charmer Track 9 (the real title is just too long to type). This is one of many driving songs that illustrate what a great rhythm section this band has; bass and drums are spot on, throughout. Fint Tillsammans have pretty much made a classic here, a diverse record that doesn't fit neatly into any categories except "Scandinavian," and I always love it when that happens.
- Kevin Renick