Oh my goodness, we’ve just spent the day listening to a very very very good new album on repeat. Taking a break from the new albums by Elin Lanto, Timoteij, and our select picks from the Eurovision 2010 compilation, we decided to put on something a little different that we were sent – the new album from Page.
We wrote about the new single from Page last week, and explained to those of you that might not have been familiar with them, that it is the post BWO musical project of Marina Schiptjenko. But although Page is her post BWO work, BWO was actually her post Page music – as she was a member of Page during the 80’s and 90’s. Anyway, Page (Marina alongside Eddie Bengtsson) are back with new album ‘Nu’, which is released in Sweden on May 26th. The first single of the album ‘Ett SOS’ came out yesterday.
‘Nu’ is compellingly addictive. It’s an electro album in both its style and its substance, but right at the very heart of it, it’s pure pop music! Amongst the sporadic blips, beeps, and synths, are beat structures and melodies tailored for unashamed fans of great pop. Feet tapping, head bopping, often just stopping short (intentionally obviously, as it’s not that sort of record) of the ultimate body gesture accolade a song can achieve – hands in the air!
We do wonder how the band would feel about having the names of the acts in the opening paragraph above, mentioned in an article reviewing their album, but we get the feeling that they actually wouldn’t mind at all. The wonderful thing about Scandinavian electro music makers is that they’re admirably open minded when it comes to music, and fully appreciate the sensibilities of commercial pop music, that other ‘serious’ musicians would do anything to appear a world away from. And the appreciation of pop always shows in their music. And that’s why we cherish albums from the likes of Royksopp, Kleerup, Robyn, and The Knife, alongside the bubblegum scandipop and schlager that we mostly write about on this website. And now we’re already adding ‘Nu’ by Page to that list!
It’s a 10 tracker, and it flows perfectly from start to finish. The opening two tracks, ‘Alla Som Väntar’ and ‘Kom Så Andas Vi’ are plodding pop numbers, setting up the album as the beautifully cheery experience that it is. Things go a bit mental on ‘Jag Tror Det, Jag Tror Det’ – in the wonderfully fun way that occurs when electro pop does go a bit mental. ‘Inte Här’ returns the sound to the tone set by the opening two, but keeps a little bit of crazy going from the previous track. And then begins the holy trinity of the next songs – three of the album’s four 10/10 moments; ‘Fyra Väggar’, ‘Tätt Inpå’, and the single, ‘Ett SOS’.
‘Fyra Väggar’ has the album’s catchiest piano riff. It opens the song and takes pride of place for most of it, joined by a wistful electric keyboard backing, and lots of drums and beats (and even some hand claps!) thrown onto it throughout. It’s absolutely brilliant! ‘Tätt Inpå’ is the album’s most Goldfrapp moment, sounding like something from their ‘Supernature’ album. The song’s chorus of ”Ooooohhhh, hallooooo, hallooooo, halloooo”, is the catchiest chorus on the album. By the second chorus, you’re absolutely hooked. And by the end, you want to go back and play it again. And ‘Ett SOS’, which you can listen to on their myspace page is absolutely stellar – sonically twinned with ‘Tätt Inpå’, but reminding us of one of our favourite electro tracks of all time, the stunning ‘Spiel Mit’ by 2Raumwohnung.
Pace is picked up again with an almost psychadelic twist, with ‘Tar Min Rock Och Går’, and continued with ‘Allt Eller Inget’. Neither of them are standout tracks, but they suit each other perfectly, and they do actually breakthrough together as something a bit different from the rest of the album. And they serve brilliantly as the 7 minutes of listening leading up to the closing of the album……….
………..and its fourth and final 10/10 moment – ‘Min Drog’. It’s the anthem of the album, and so it was genius to also have it as the album’s swan song. The synth melody that epically bellows throughout, closes the record brilliantly, and it reinforces the feeling that you’ve experienced something very special indeed.
Wow wow wow WOW!
We highly recomment that you give this album a listen to one it’s out at the end of the month. It. Is. Amazing.
