Drew Beringer
03/29/06, 03:14 PM
THE SOUNDS - Dying To Say This To You
Upon first listen to The Sounds’ second album, Dying To Say This To You, you may think to yourself, “This sounds like another band jumping on the dance-rock trend.” But unlike those bands who have jumped on the bandwagon, The Sounds have been doing the dance-rock thing since 2002, when they released their debut album, “Living In America,” which earned praise from critics and gained fans like Dave Grohl, Pharrell Williams, and Quentin Tarantino. After playing over hundreds of shows (with the likes of The Strokes and Foo Fighters) and logging many miles on the Warped Tour, the quintet from the small town of Helsingborg, Sweden, have released another album that continues where “Living In America” left off. Produced by Jeff Saltzman (The Killers), Dying To Say This To You is stuffed with catchy pop goodness circa 1980’s and a bratty attitude, this 11-track album gets your body and vocal chords moving.
The opening track (and first single), “Song With A Mission,” starts off with cowbell and a relaxed riff from guitarist Felix Rodriguez only to be followed by vocalist Maja Ivarsson’s howling of “Hey!/What do you say?/I got a fifty million dollar contract coming my way/this song is not for you/only people living like we do/and not for the true.” The next track, “Queen Of Apology,” really showcases Jesper Anderberg’s ability with the keys, and the chorus is fast and infectious. “Tony The Beat” grooves through your brain with a steady beat from drummer Fredrik Nilsson while the synths take over the chorus. “24 Hours” and “Painted By Numbers” are lively tracks that channel the 80’s as much as they can. The album takes a dramatic shift with the piano ballad, “Night After Night,” which is one of my favorite tracks of the year, with Maja’s voice swelling with emotion over the haunting keys of the piano from Anderberg and the steady tribal sound from Nilsson. Following that is “Ego,” another favorite of mine. The snyths come back out to play, the punk influences shine through, and Maja’s voice goes from the emotional to the pissed-off in this track. “Hurt You” has a feel-good vibe throughout, while “Much Too Long” is heavy on the drums and synths once again. The album closes out with “Running Out Of Turbo,” a rockin’ track, and a bonus track of aforementioned “Night After Night,” but instead of being a ballad, this version is in your face and fun, closing the album on a high and energetic note.
It’s no secret that The Sounds are your favorite band’s favorite band, and that fan base looks to grow with the successful release of Dying To Say This To You. While not as good as the debut, this album still puts all the other dance-rock albums to shame, and if you are a fan of this type of music, then this is a must-own. Even if you’re not a fan, I suggest checking this out, because if any band is going to change your opinion on this genre, The Sounds are the ones to it.
Tracklist:
1. Song With A Mission
2. Queen Of Apology
3. Tony The Beat
4. 24 Hours
5. Painted By Numbers
6. Night After Night
7. Ego
8. Hurt You
9. Much Too Long
10. Running Out Of Turbo
11. Night After Night (alternate version)
The Sounds are:
Maja Ivarsson - vocals
Felix Rodriguez - guitar
Fredrik Nilsson - drums
Jesper Anderberg - Keyboards
Johan Bengtsson - bass
Record Label: New Line Records (http://www.newlinerecords.com)
Release Date: March 21, 2006
Official Website (http://www.the-sounds.com); Official Myspace Page (http://www.myspace.com/thesounds)
Upon first listen to The Sounds’ second album, Dying To Say This To You, you may think to yourself, “This sounds like another band jumping on the dance-rock trend.” But unlike those bands who have jumped on the bandwagon, The Sounds have been doing the dance-rock thing since 2002, when they released their debut album, “Living In America,” which earned praise from critics and gained fans like Dave Grohl, Pharrell Williams, and Quentin Tarantino. After playing over hundreds of shows (with the likes of The Strokes and Foo Fighters) and logging many miles on the Warped Tour, the quintet from the small town of Helsingborg, Sweden, have released another album that continues where “Living In America” left off. Produced by Jeff Saltzman (The Killers), Dying To Say This To You is stuffed with catchy pop goodness circa 1980’s and a bratty attitude, this 11-track album gets your body and vocal chords moving.
The opening track (and first single), “Song With A Mission,” starts off with cowbell and a relaxed riff from guitarist Felix Rodriguez only to be followed by vocalist Maja Ivarsson’s howling of “Hey!/What do you say?/I got a fifty million dollar contract coming my way/this song is not for you/only people living like we do/and not for the true.” The next track, “Queen Of Apology,” really showcases Jesper Anderberg’s ability with the keys, and the chorus is fast and infectious. “Tony The Beat” grooves through your brain with a steady beat from drummer Fredrik Nilsson while the synths take over the chorus. “24 Hours” and “Painted By Numbers” are lively tracks that channel the 80’s as much as they can. The album takes a dramatic shift with the piano ballad, “Night After Night,” which is one of my favorite tracks of the year, with Maja’s voice swelling with emotion over the haunting keys of the piano from Anderberg and the steady tribal sound from Nilsson. Following that is “Ego,” another favorite of mine. The snyths come back out to play, the punk influences shine through, and Maja’s voice goes from the emotional to the pissed-off in this track. “Hurt You” has a feel-good vibe throughout, while “Much Too Long” is heavy on the drums and synths once again. The album closes out with “Running Out Of Turbo,” a rockin’ track, and a bonus track of aforementioned “Night After Night,” but instead of being a ballad, this version is in your face and fun, closing the album on a high and energetic note.
It’s no secret that The Sounds are your favorite band’s favorite band, and that fan base looks to grow with the successful release of Dying To Say This To You. While not as good as the debut, this album still puts all the other dance-rock albums to shame, and if you are a fan of this type of music, then this is a must-own. Even if you’re not a fan, I suggest checking this out, because if any band is going to change your opinion on this genre, The Sounds are the ones to it.
Tracklist:
1. Song With A Mission
2. Queen Of Apology
3. Tony The Beat
4. 24 Hours
5. Painted By Numbers
6. Night After Night
7. Ego
8. Hurt You
9. Much Too Long
10. Running Out Of Turbo
11. Night After Night (alternate version)
The Sounds are:
Maja Ivarsson - vocals
Felix Rodriguez - guitar
Fredrik Nilsson - drums
Jesper Anderberg - Keyboards
Johan Bengtsson - bass
Record Label: New Line Records (http://www.newlinerecords.com)
Release Date: March 21, 2006
Official Website (http://www.the-sounds.com); Official Myspace Page (http://www.myspace.com/thesounds)