Meadow Music

The alternative rock duo The Perfect Mess released a new video last month. It’s the song “First Mess” that gets a special treatment, a song taken from their debut EP, released last year. I think it’s one of the best tracks from the record. Here the 80’s-vibing synths get some more space, which combined with the dramatic guitar riffs give a special atmosphere in the song.

The Perfect Mess on Facebook – on Spotify – on Apple Music

The first song I heard from Joe & the Anchor’s new album “King of Sins” was the wonderful ambient ballad “Sin Against Sins”. The song is not quite characteristic for the other songs on the record, but I can sense some spices here which runs through many of the tracks. Here’s an unpredictability in the harmonies and the song structures, big emotions and a sweet sense of melodies.

The album is quite varied, a brew with inspiration from britpop, Americana, alternative rock and other styles. They mention artists like The National, Editors and Nick Drake as influences and when I listen I feel it pours down associations from the first song to the last and I hear everything from Soundgarden to Foo Fighters and Manic Street Preachers. It’s a colourful mix with both deep dark shades as well as brighter ones. The base is a a rather powerful and spacious guitar-based sound, carefully spiced with synths and nice vocal harmonies. Joakim Rosenlund has a special tone in his voice I really appreciate and he also has both the power and the amplitude in his expression to take on these multifaceted songs. Another splash of colour is Yrsa Schau’s vocals who join Joakim on a few songs.
Here are three excellent samples from a quite delicious album, the second full length record from the band since they started in 2013.

Joe & the Anchor’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Apple Music

The atmosphere is dark, but the earnestness and glow in Theresia Billberg’s voice keeps us warm in the winter cold. She calls herself Maj Dolores as a solo artist and together with her collaborator Martin Östman she has produced the three-track EP “Min vän” (“My Friend”). Here they have created their own sound, a combo of an organic rhythm section and synth pop with vibes of the eighties. The personal and intimate stories land in sparkling choruses, which feel emotional as well as catchy. These are three appealing, strong and daring songs that definitely deserve more attention.

Maj Dolores’ site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Apple Music

“Say That” is a song collaboration between the Stockolm based producer and artist Finis Mundi, aka Nino de Felipe, and the German artist Novaa. It’s an exciting duet and love drama where the singers interestingly has their own musical theme. The song starts with Novaa’s soft vocals in a laidback, intimate R&B-vibing verse and then switches over to Finis Mundi who cuts through the fluffy pillow with screaming synths and a harder beat. And they continue swapping like this the song through, glued together by sweet overlaps and the underlying theme. A different and creative track.

Finis Mundi on Facebook

Novaa on Facebook

The expression “Gör så gott du kan” (appr. “do your best”) can be both a consolation and a curse. It’s also the title on MANKKU [mancko]’s, aka Magnus Fagernäs, latest singel, a taste of the upcoming album “Det var allt för stunden” (release November 17th). The song has been released before in an acoustic version recorded live in a studio. MANKKU claims, though, that this is how he really wanted the song to sound from the beginning.

It’s a dark atmosphere in this song where synths sweep in like black smoke, building up to a folkrock-vibing heavy chorus while MANKKU plays out all his dramatic intensity. Interestingly the folk song tinge is more obvious now than before, which underlines the timelessness in the story even further.  The song also ends with an ominous ambience, almost filmic, like if we are witnessing the smoldering remains of a battlefield. Dark, beautiful and haunting.

Mankku [mancko]’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Apple Music