Well, the Swedish trio that went viral on YT by twisting contemporary pop hits into something that musos could appreciate finally released their debut... and it's all (or at least mostly, not sure because I downloaded it off iTunes) original material. I had my first listen last night and maybe you should take what I say with a grain of salt because I did have the "other ears" on (i.e. ), but I really dug it! I dared not post this on the main board because let's face it, it's not prog. But it IS progressive.
What they're doing is pretty unique; they're trying to make contemporary dance/pop music that has musical integrity. It sounds a little bit like what you'd hear on Top 40 radio today, but it doesn't at the same time. It's got the trendy synth sounds and sequencers, but it also has stuff that you never hear in today's pop: virtuoso musicianship and complex arrangements with rhythmic juxtapositions (that are bound to fuck the dancers up) and some very "adult" chords and progressions. I have no idea how successful this is going to be as either dance or pop music, but my hat's off to them for trying!
These guys can really PLAY, but it's not the main focus of their music, they just kind of sneak it in when they feel it works. The keyboard player/singer's voice may be the deal breaker, but not for the reasons you'd think; he's actually an amazing singer, but he sounds almost exactly like Stevie Wonder in over-the-top mode. Anybody who has ever heard Stevie (which is just about everybody) won't be able to help but notice and sounding that much like somebody else isn't often a good thing. I love Stevie's voice so I don't mind at all, but I suspect others will.
At any rate, there's much to admire about this album already on first listen and I think it's going to be a "grower" because there's a lot to absorb. When there was a thread about them on the main board, there was equal amounts of love and hate and I'm sure that won't change. But those who can connect to what they've heard so far will very likely dig this album.
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