Today I’m listening to Magnus Bergman’s fourth solo album “Ljusspår”. And I like what I hear, the best I’ve heard from Magnus so far. With flangy sixties’ guitars and a double bass in the frontline he manages to create his own warm sound. A sound with which he can safely wander between the songs and the style variations without losing anyone; from early Direstraits-rock to country rock to folk pop and even some rockabilly doses. And Magnus himself sings with a comfortable, relaxed expression, conveying the theme of the album, which is about the story of a man who finds his way home in life, first of all within himself. A classy album, both when it comes to songwriting and production.

Magnus Bergmans hemsida – på Facebook – på Spotify

Inom mig

Now it’s about hard rock á la the early eighties with The Rockford Heroes and their new EP “The White EP”. If you drew a line between Iron Maiden and Dio they would land somewhere in between, and the singer Dan Hultstrand, who definitely has the voice strength to carry this, also lands there somewhere in his style and voice tone. Tasteful and balanced arrangements with great guitar layers, that still have some vibes of the seventies. The only thing I think is missing in the mix, to make it really sing, is a better package with bass and kick drum, which I think miss some heaviness to take the songs all the way.

This is their second EP and a big step forward compared to the earlier EP, and I’m looking forward to hearing more from the band.

The Rockford Heroe’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify

Capricious Arrows

“The Essential” ususally means that someone collects the best songs from earlier album releases. This is not the case with this album, which in fact is Fleet of Clay’s debut album, but fits in the sense that they have collected the best they have recorded during a few years an made an album out of it. And it also fits with respect to the quality of the songs, because it’s an impressive collection of songs.

The album contains 25 songs with music which first of all has it’s roots in the sixties and the beginning of the seventies. Pop, country, folk with vibes from bands like Buffalo Springfield, CSN&Y, Beatles, Kinks and others. It’s a classic production with few overdubs except the main instruments, the vocals and the choirs, and there’s plenty of pleasant guitars and good vocals. It’s a pearl of an album, and the song quality lasts all 25 tracks through, where they varies from classic sixties’ pop to cheeky country to fine-tuned folk pop without losing neither themselves nor the listener. There’s a kind of playful self-convidence on the album, that you would expect from a band that has released three or four albums already.

The men behind Fleet of Clay are the three brothers Knut, Erik and Karl Svanholm. Unfortunately they don’t seem to be that active with the band any longer; Knut is working with his band Lobst and their new album, and that’s as much as I know now. There is a Facebook page, though, and on Spotify you can listen to all songs. Here are two tracks:

Everyone Now
The Mist

The Grand New Wrong, who I wrote about in Spring, have released a new single, “Hands of Time”. Two songs with smoking grunge-inspired rock, which I think take the band to a new level, both when it comes to the songs themselves but also when it comes to the production, which now is considerably sharper and breathes of determination and rock energy.

It deserves to be mentioned that all income from the single goes to  Made for Music, a local project in Alingsås, Sweden, which aims to help kids who can’t afford music school or buy their first instrument.

The Grand New Wrong’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify

No Name

Last Autumn I wrote about Coyote Deathbed, a somewhat mysterious band. I do know, though, that Måns Rohde Wittsell is involved in the band. Måns normally is the singer and guitar player in the band Wittsell 3, a trio which was formed in 2010, and that recently released their debut EP, “Using Palettes”.

It feels like a mix of older and newer influences, of classic blues and blues rock mixed with garage rock and a dose of grunge. Besides drums and bass guitar they are armed with a distorted 12-string guitar and  wah-wah pedal, and manage to create a special sound and a cool jam-vibe in the songs.

Wittsell 3 on Facebook – on Spotify – on Soundcloud

Using Palettes