All About Jazz praises Elephant9

All About Jazz gives high marks to Elephant9's new album "Walk the Nile": http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=35810

     

Elias & the Wizzkids - Just do it!
(Hybris)

After releasing two stellar singles in 2009, Elias & the Wizzkids have returned with their second album, "Just do it!". They have changed their sound immensely since the early days, and said singles alluded to the band's new, finely honed pop sound and clean production as opposed to the alt-country leanings of their first record. I must say thought, it's quite enjoyable hearing Elias Åkesson's scratchy voice over the lush arrangements of this new set (see "Oh these nights" with it's anthemic chorus). However, the band doesn't fully forsake their old sound, they just consolidated it to the closing track "What would kill us". And it works so well, because each track recalls varying influences, and excels wholly on its own. The 80s-leaning opener "Waste of time", the 70s-pop-meets-Beatles aspect of "Crooked road" and the absolutely huge "Hit & run". But the underlying strength of each one makes this a much more cohesive set than this review may lead on -- the structure of the album is as impeccable as the songwriting and performance. It's hard not to gush (in the professional sense) over a great album, but when one hears it, it is the logical conclusion.
- Matt Giordano

     

PopMatters reviews "jj nº 3"

PopMatters reviews the new jj album "jj nº 3": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/120924-jj-jj-n-3/

     

PopMatters reviews Midaircondo

PopMatters reviews the latest Midaircondo album "Curtain call": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/120981-midaircondo-curtain-call/

     

Nikola Sarcevic - Nikola & Fattiglapparna
(Stalemate Music)

Millencolin have written some very catchy skate punk songs during the 16 years they've been around, but unlike some of their contemporaries (e.g. NOFX) you can't give them any credit for much lyrical flare. Back in the day when CDs were all the rage it happened to me more than once that I bought a new Millencolin CD and reading the lyrics in the booklet on my way home totally killed all the excitement I'd built up in shop when buying the album. Usually I tried to ignore the lyrics when listening to the CD and most of the time it still sounded alright, but I couldn't completely ignore their crassness. This problem has only increased with the years and it really came to show when in 2004 Nikola Sarcevic released his first solo album "Lock-sport-krock" (with English lyrics, it very much sounded like an acoustic version of Millencolin). I liked a couple of songs on it, but the cheesy lyrics make it quite a hard listen. "Roll roll and flee" that was released two years later and was an improvement, so I'm a bit disappointed that Sarcevic now has decided to sing in Swedish on this, his third solo album ("Nikola & Fattiglapparna"). By having Swedish lyrics Sarcevic really puts them in the spotlight (if you're Swedish that is; if you're not, it probably has the opposite effect). Even though there are one or two good moments to be had on the album, most of it sounds like a poor man's Kristofer Åström with kindergarten-like lyrics and some terrible rhymes. I heard in an interview that Sarcevic wrote the lyrics first in English then translated them to Swedish which, to be honest, doesn't sound like such a great idea. It's a bit of a shame that the album is so dire, since Sarcevic's got a bit of knack for a melody and I kind of like his voice.
- Stefan Nilsson

     

Dusted reviews "jj nº 3"

Dusted reviews the new jj album "jj nº 3": http://dustedmagazine.com/reviews/5579

     

PopMatters reviews Sambassadeur

PopMatters is so-so on the new Sambassadeur album "European": http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/121511-sambassadeur-european/

     

Tobias Fröberg - The big up
(Fire Egg Recordings)

A few years ago, Tobias Fröberg opened for Peter Morén's North American tour. While charming and hilarious, there was a distinct sense of also-ran, as Fröberg's engaging stage persona couldn't quite make up for the fact his songs were, at best, sweetly adequate. However, "The big up" gives us a different Fröberg, one who is ready to step out from behind "big brother Morén's" shadow. For those of us who have been longing to embrace both artist and music, it's about time!

Built around organ, understated strings, and a pronounced sense of melancholy, the songs of "The big up" are bluer, and the emotions a bit sharper than 2008's "Turn heads". Love, it appears, still weighs heavily on Fröberg's mind. Although, from the paean to lost war love "Sandra", to guitar-driven "I wanna hurt like that", to spectacularly understated "When we go to war", pain and violence is never far behind. Even when his self-deprecating charm peaks though on track "I hope that I die before you", it's not without a keen sense that the end is always in sight. So consistent is his theme and care that, by album's end, even the refrain of final track "Baby baby baby" feels indebted with emotion far beyond its simple words. Also-ran no more, introspect suits Fröberg.
- Laura Studarus

     

FNS review at Fluid Radio

Fluid Radio reviews FNS aka Norwegian experimental artist Fredrik Ness Sevendal (Slowburn, DEL, Children & Corpse Playing in the Streets, etc): http://www.fluid-radio.co.uk/2010/03/fns-fns/

     

The Giant's Dream - Canto III: Sun spark solaris

Super-prolific Swedes Emil Johansson and Joakim Westlund are the originators and creators of this project, the ethereal, trancelike third part of their "Canto" series. From the onset it continues their electronic/ambient journey and sounds off like a movie soundtrack you'd expect to hear on an Oscar-winning Euroflick that has everyone raving about its creative genius. Most of the tracks on here are bright, uplifting anthems that elicit a happy smile; almost as if a fond memory has come flooding back. On the other side of the emotional coin, there's a sinister undertone that belies the contented aura of the majority of the album, evident on "Lying memorial", and that touches the edges of dark ambience. In between, all manner of emotion comes to the fore; optimism, love, sadness, longing, sympathy, and contentment all play a part in "Sun spark solaris" and demonstrate that the music not only elicits emotion but was created by emotion. It doesn't get much more ponderous than dimming the lights and letting The Giant's Dream take you on a journey of fond memories and longing desires. Sublime.
- John Norby