Something about the opening track, "Song With A Mission" seems kinda disco. The Ooooo background vocals and the crazy warble in the middle of the tune. Background instrumentation is choppy and jivey, minimal and fairly simple. The synth often follows the lead vocal track. This is great music to perfect your Robot to. Maja Ivarsson's voice is fantastic. Cute but powerful, a little raspy, like she smoked too much during her last cold. That's hot, right? Anyhow, much as their previous effort, Dying To Say This To You is a grand dance album. Ths kind of album you can put on and walk down the street to like you're a super model, shoving people out of the way and dancing about as though it's your very own music video. Impossible not to move to, and mottled with actually thoughtful lyrics and sincere emotions, unlike so much of today's hipster fare. "Tony The Beat" has a stop-go funk to it that brings us to the 80's a la Funkytown. You'll hear it. The chorus 80's-ifies even more with perfectly vintage synth sounds and that classic mystery chime that was so well-used back in the day. I'm filled with glee by this album! Even touching ballads can be charted here, as evidenced on "Night After Night"... you're thinking Cyndi Lauper, right? Well, it's not far off the mark. Not a stitch of synths are heard in this one though... just piano, and a gentle guitar and drum that sounds more like a bongo. Such a sad little girl... sigh. And Ivarsson has a good ability to harmonize with... herself? Interestingly, "Don't Want To Hurt You" lets the boys have a shot, with male vocals starting up this punchy track about not fucking with your feelings. I love how the boys' Swedish accent comes out in these vocals. For the record, I don't believe what they're saying.
ElsewhereThe Sounds websitePublished : March, 2006. |
