{mosimage}Moneybrother
(aka Anders Wendin) is the latest rock star in Sweden. His
latest album Mount Pleasure reached the top of the charts in the neighboring country
this summer. No surprise here. This is a very fine album, a good collection of
catchy songs and sweet melodies.
The
artwork, featuring Anders Wendin looking straight at the camera with messy hair
and white shirt, could resemble the cover of Bruce Springsteen album. That is a
pretty good lead of what we will find in Mount Pleasure. There is a Born to Run kind of feeling on it: songs
about teenage loves, growing up, summer nights, working days and break ups. The
music also has an E Street Band influence, especially songs like the opener Guess Who's Gonna Get Some
Tonight, with the sax, the piano, the organ and the melody, it borders the wall
of sound.
But
fortunately, Moneybrother does not try to be the next Bruce Springsteen and his
music explores many other textures. The ballad It Might Aswell Be Known is a duet with Norwegian artist Annie Brun
and it could be one of those murder ballads by Nick Cave. Dance, pop or classic
rock (did I hear some early Wilco or The Jayhawks on It Is Time For Falling
Apart?) also make appearance in Mount Pleasure. Even Thin Lizzy! In his
website, Moneybrother recognizes proudly that Will There Be Music? is a total
Thin Lizzy rip off. It is too obvious to deny it. That song is like Dancing in
the Moonlight part 2. But like Wendin says: “I
absolutely adore Thin Lizzy and I don't want to make an album without a song
sounding exactly like them.” Well done, I say then.
In spite of all the clear influences, Mount
Pleasure sounds fresh and modern. The songwriting is too good to make this
album a failure.
Rating: 5/5