Living in America

History Repeating
by: nick evans

It’s interesting that a band that hails from Sweden would call their album Living in America, but here it is. And they’re a hell of a lot more talented than Ace of Base.

I’m now convinced that 2003 was the return of new wave. While The Postal Service and Yeah Yeah Yeah’s have nit-picked and chosen elements from 80’s new wave to include in their songs, this album goes all the way. The 80’s were a jubilant time for music, and this album captures that fun perfectly. I was expecting something along the lines of PJ Harvey or Courtney Love, but instead I got something totally different - a female lead that can rock out and can be light and have fun at the same time.

The first thing that pops in to everyone’s head is BLONDIE. It’s got the hot blonde lead, (Maja Ivarsson) and four guys with little to no stage presence. And it does sound a lot like that certain blonde girl that took the world by storm 20 some-odd years ago, from the style to the voice. This record is eighties hardcore. The instrumentation in all the songs, with the classic synthesizer keyboards and sugar coated guitar cords, could have fit nicely on any Cars album. While the album may be a bit too “poppy” for its own good; it still somehow captures the essence of any decent indie record.

The album isn’t perfect, and has its flaws. The lyrics are a bit unintelligent, and sometimes get a bit repetitive. At times, it even gets a little corny. But with a lack of originality in music today, it seems as if the indie hipsters have looked to past generations for influence. So I guess Britney is right about this one. (she recently bought tickets to a show of theirs) History repeats itself once again. 12-Jan-2004 9:10 AM