Truth about 'Dear John' by Loney Dear

I have to admit that I was surprised when I found out that Loney Dear was from Sweden. There's so much that's only one or two hours away from the town you were raised in that you have never heard of, this artist is one of those. Origianally from Jonkoping in Sweden, artist Emil Svanängen has received great recognition lately as he recently released a new album, 'Dear John'. 

Loney Dear is something between what I would call the new Swedish invasion. Between Timo Räisanen and Jens Lekman we find Loney Dear. Dear John is a typical Swedish Indie/Pop/Rock story that comes out quite good. In fact, third time becomes the charm. Even though the mourning, downy atmosphere to the album it holds up so much joy and charm. With the beautiful 'I Was Only Going' out I get captured in a visually told story. I recognize the growing up in my coastal Swedish hometown Oskarshamn and the summer nights of my teenage years where a song like this would define me and give the inspiration for greater things. It's hard to describe in words what 'Dear John' sounds like because even though it reminds of this and that it has an original label to it and that's why I fully agree with the attention around it.

What's seem to be the problem here is simply the positioning of the tracks, from a powerful start with 'Airport Surroundings' and 'Harsh Words' I tense the feeling of the album going downward in a melodic speed. He loses me and kind of slumbers of as the album reaches towards the end. When you take a look at the harmful songs composed as individual pieces the the production is beautiful, clean and very well accepted in my musical opinion. He closes the album rather mellow, rather soft and even though 'Violet' helps us to feel the tensions I remember how the opening totally struck me and that's where I'm lost. The album is though a promising album, that defines a new era of Swedish powerful musicians. Dear John is a great album and Loney Dear remains on my list. A truly amazing thing-piece that I choose to like very, very much.

Truth about 'Hold Time' by M. Ward

M. Ward is one of those indie singer/songwriters that’s not totally acoustic and plain, filled with emotions that make you which you never turned on the album. The happy, but yet mellow M. Ward has finally after three years released a new album. After his previous hit ‘Post-War’ which I must admit is a fantastic album, M. Ward brings his game on to his new ‘Hold Time’. The album is a nice and sunshine album that starts of with the bittersweet yet happy and earthy tone. He is one of few artists that has found what I once saw in The Shins but at a slower speed and a more sentimental path.

In ‘For Beginners’ M. Ward brings on the quick acoustic play with a happy surface that give you time for reflection and just like The Shins second track ‘Mine’s Not High Horse’ on ‘Chutes To Narrow’ he gives the album a perfect start. In this album he’s done a terrific collaboration with actress Zooey Deschanel (Almost Famous, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy) for an original soundtrack song ‘Rave On’ for the upcoming film ‘The Go-Getter’. The duet is absolutely one of the highlights of this ‘feel good’ album that never really reaches up to what ‘Post-War’ did.

I hate to compare stuff and this is a creative and beautiful record that sets tone for the upcoming spring. I’m not very well familiar with M. Ward so I can’t really compare and change opinions on his earlier work (except ‘Post-War’) and I could give you full biographical background but this is about ‘Hold Time’ as a record and I guess I fall in love with the music. It’s one of those albums that has continuous linear speed, it’s a great ‘mood’ setter for a sunny day and it’s surely a very good album. A Sunshine ‘Mood’-setter that has a little charm with it and I like it. It secures his future in my library.

Highlights; 'For Beginners', 'To Save Me', 'Jailbird' and 'Rave On'.

Truth about 'Tonight: Franz Ferdinand' by Franz Ferdinand

When I start listening to Franz Ferdinandz's new album 'Tonight: Franz Ferdinand' I just get something in my head, a comparison. I want to compare the album compilation to Morrissey's 'Bona Drag' from 1990 but I take a listen to 'Bona Drag' and decide on changing that. 'Bona Drag' is way much better, in fact that one is brilliant and 'Tonight: Franz Ferdinand' is not. On the other hand I do like what I here. Franz Ferdinand is something of that New Wave/Alternative Pop Melodic with a rock clash to it that makes them one of those bands that is up there in front room or rather the underground front room. Rather than Morrissey I love to compare them to Max. Parks or Interpol and maybe some sides of Arctic Monkeys. This time the Scottish quartet has released another good album.

'Tonight: Franz Ferdinand' starts rater Joy Divisionish, pretty slow and maybe not what I expect. I hope for something like a top 20 of 2009 but what I get is the impression of slowing down the speedo rocket that finally going upwards. Of course track number three, 'No For Girls' is awesome, but that I already know so what I found when the album finally turns better is 'Twilight Omens' and 'Live Alone' and it was from these songs I got the Morrissey similarities, but this is mostly a melodic indie rock album that doesn't really come forth and that's why I become dissapointed. I can't say that it is bad it's just not 'Franz Ferdinand' (Their first Album released in 2004). It is a good album and Franz Ferdinand that finally has become a rather well-reputated band pulls of a good thing but I seriously believe that their better suited for a festival summer than in my iPod or in people's living rooms. It's well produced no talk about it.

When we reach the end of the album I get familiar with my favorite type of almost all genres, the little slower, calmer and beautiful songs 'Lucid Dreams' and 'Katharine Kiss Me'. Its good, to sum up this rather weird review I would like to say that this album is worth your attention, not just a recognition of brilliance. It feel like we have heard it before and sure its good, but first time melodic indie rock is always the best.

Truth about 'The Crying Light' by Anthony & The Johnson's

Truth spoken, 'The Crying Light' by the New York group Anthony & The Johnsons is a melodic tension settler. As I would like to call it, after two mellow, low density albums third time becomes a charm. 'The Crying Night' contain a tension of melodic calm and soft melodies mixed with thoughts and carefulness. It brings out a tension in ways of how you reflect over your personal thinking process and as the second week of February comes to its end I find this golden egg hidden by all what's bad.

Anthony & The Johnsons have yet again proved that they gain something to the musical industry in an independent universe that has outgrown itself. Lead singer Anthony delivers his emotional downward voice and uses his bands in this fantastic way of reading what I would call 'extreminism' poetry of high standards that deals with tensions of peoples regular lives. It gives the proportions of greateness and with this album more than ever, a terrific chamber pop experience as I would like to describe it.

In comparision to personal legends and musical geniuses like Rufus Wainwright and Jeff Buckley, Anthony creates an undertone and with songs like 'Epilepsy is Dancing' and 'Dust and Water' a great melodic tension is created that upholds the greatness of an album. Opening the album as soft as possible with a story sadness I think that Anthony & The Johnson's has created one of the year 2009's best albums, if not in the end definetly so far.

Other albums worth its attention, processesed over night: 'The Empyrian' by John Fruciante, 'Hold Time' by M.Ward and 'Merriweather Post Pavillon' by Animal Collective