MP3: I'm From Barcelona - Paper planes
I'm From Barcelona mainman Emmanuel Lundgren's greatest skill is his ability to turn the smallest everyday occurrence into a grand musical gesture. Whether it's an inside joke about "Fawty Towers" (see the band's moniker and semi-eponymous single), collecting stamps, making a treehouse or even doing the laundry late at night (see "When stars come out" by pre-IFB band Valley Days), it's those little things that make a difference. Distill those thoughts to their essence and set it to a lushly orchestrated backdrop and you've got perfect pop, accessible to everyone. Though the new IFB album "Who killed Harry Houdini?" does find the time and energy to be more contemplative (see "Music killed me" for instance), it's still those simple ideas that carry the day. Who hasn't spent idle time folding paper planes? Or at least doing something comparable - it's universally appealing, so of course Lundgren nails it.
As with the band's first album, "Who killed Harry Houdini?" struggles to remain consistent through it's entire runtime and could have been reduced to a near-perfect EP, but it's still quite good as-is. I also appreciate that it's not all euphoric pop all the time, a nod back to Lundgren's time with Valley Days. To all the people who doubted whether or not they could remain relevant, you might be surprised.
I'm From Barcelona - Paper planes