MP3: The Tough Alliance - Something special
As provocateurs, The Tough Alliance has few peers. At least in the complacent Swedish indie/pop world - they've got a long way to go before they reach KLF or Men's Recovery Project levels of subversiveness, but I applaud them for trying. Musically, it barely even matters. Their reputation and notoriety is based far more on shtick than on anything they've committed to tape. On the other hand, "A new chance" shows a tremendous amount of growth and opening track "Something special" is the first time I've ever heard TTA open their mouths without making me cringe (hence my ready appreciation of the instrumental and new-agey "Escaping our ambitions" from last year). They move beyond their usual snotty Göteborg indie-gone-electro sound by spicing it up with bits of Middle Eastern samples and much-improved drum machine programming. And finally, vocals that actually approach tunefulness.
As a whole, the record is tailormade for summer listening. The sonic palette screams "island"-preset, if such a thing exists. Cheesy synths, steel drums, and so on - think "Kokomo". There's even a semi-decent reggae track ("Looking for gold") which may call to mind UB40, for better or worse. I'm surprised to find myself enjoying it as much as I do, though that might not really be all that much. I will say this however: The Embassy has some serious catching up to do.
The Tough Alliance - Something special