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{mosimage}Samettivallankumous (”velvet revolution” in English) is essentially, as far as the line-up and the style of music go, Ville Härkönen & Velvet with a new name. They make alternative country in Finnish, which – as a concept – is quite refreshing in a way. Too bad the concept doesn’t really work the way it should.

It is quite difficult to point one’s finger why it doesn’t feel so good. The track En voi särkeä sun sydäntä vielä is a case in point: with its audible heartache it sounds like a real alt. country song should sound (minus the out-of-tune-guitar solo), but the emotion it awakens on the listener is lukewarm at best.

Of course, country music is by its nature a very American thing, but I cannot see why a Finnish version of alt. country could not work. Maybe it’s just that it would take a little more to localize a style of music than just use use all of its essential elements without questioning anything.

The album’s lyrics are penned by a variety of writers. Samettivallankumous front man and main composer Ville Härkönen has himself written only one lyric, and the band has had contributions from such people as notable Finnish indie rock musicians Janne Laurila and Ville Leinonen, and even the movie director Markku Pölönen. Therefore it’s understandable that lyrically the album is quite a disjointed, although at times successful affair.

Despite some interesting moments, Täällä mies, kuuleeko nainen? is a mediocre record.

Rating 2/5 

{mosimage}Singer Serj Tankian launches his solo debut album, free of System of a Down's guitarist's Daron Malakian's influences. He is also touring and promoting the album with a new backing band that he calls the FCC: Flying Cunt of Chaos.

Many fans of System of a Down were not much happy with Malakian´s late attitude of taking a bigger role in the vocals parts of System of a Down. Now they can feel happy with Tankian's first solo album, introducing again in plenitude the unique Serj's vocal talents. Do not expect in any case bigger changes from SOAD´s style. The album is similar in many aspects to works like Mesmerize, but obviously with a more personal touch by Tankian. Furious, politically involved and combative and with Tankian´s elastic and expressive vocals flooding the album in every song.

The album enjoys some glorious moments like in Saving us or the final track Elect the Dead, but part of the magic that you could find in SOAD is lost here. It seems that Tankian wanted to satisfy the old fans while trying to create something a bit different, but at the end got disoriented in the middle of the crossroad and the result gets overcooked; his shouts can turn from dynamic into annoying. Not a bad effort though, since the songwriting is brilliant and the rebellious attitude continues at its top.

Tankian shows why he has more balls than most of the people in the American  musical industry, with a praising  balance of quality and dignity. While SOAD takes a break, Elect the Dead is a good choice to await until Malakian and Tankian will rejoin forces.

Rating 3/5

{mosimage}Pooma are definitely an interesting band, quite unlike any other band in Finland at the moment. Their lush, atmospheric and ethereal pop music could be compared to such bands as Sigur Rós, Portishead or Radiohead, with also influences from all the quintessential shoegazing bands (Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine and so on).

Persuader is a record that demands serious attention from its listener. There are no catchy choruses or other pop elements to be found, and the band’s sound is somehow very unassuming. However, in the right mindset it sounds actually quite fabulous. The mood of the record is almost like of a fairytale – a somewhat twisted fairytale – or a dream. It really sounds like a carefully constructed piece of work.

Persuader’s appeal is still a bit limited. It would be hard to pick favourite tracks, since none of them really stand out. Nothing really grabs the listener’s attention. Vocalist Tuire Lukka has a seductive voice and the musicians are experienced. They really can create an interesting atmosphere, but too often it feels like that’s all they can do.

Anyway, Persuader is a promising debut. They still have some way to go before they’ll be able to reach the worldwide top of their genre – whatever that genre may be – but they are quite a welcome addition to the Finnish musical climate nevertheless.

3/5 

{mosimage}If Marraskuun lauluja I was released on last January, it was normal that the second part would not find any other better month to hit the market than November.

Viikate's fans have not had to wait very long for getting the second studio album of the band during 2007. Arvo, Ervo, Simeoni and  Kaarle  deliver more of the same formula that have made the band achieve a personal and idiosyncratic style in the Finnish music system: melancholic lyrics and poetry turned into music with constant references to the past and the loneliness. Great instrumentation work in the songs and the always particular voice of Kaarle turns this into another album 100% Viikate.

An excellent album if you want to go deeper into the melancholic spirit in Finnish music and Finnish society in general when November comes and the light turns to be a precious luxury to enjoy for only few hours a day. Understanding Finnish language can be a great help for capturing the essence of the band, although not essential, nevertheless music and feelings are universal. Hallamaat or Ensimmäinen runo (a great cover from Amorphis) are some of the highlighted songs of an album not made for those used just to easy listening music.

If winter makes you feel depressed, maybe wait for a better occasion to discover Viikate's work; but if on the other hand, coldness provides you with an exceptional occasion to work harder at home, enjoy a good glass of wine and listen some good Finnish music in the background, do not think it twice and get both volumes of Marraskuun lauluja.

Rating: 3/5

{mosimage}The female rockers from Brighton release their debut studio; a good dose of punk/grunge/rock.

Named after their idol, actor Steve McQueen, the British McQueen can feel proud of having toured, since their formation in 2003, with bands such as Foo Fighters, Juliette & the Licks, (my particularly beloved) Aerosmith, WASP or The Almighty. Do not expect to find much place for softness here, because these four young girls really mean the title of their album: Break the Silence. Songs that go from grunge in the introductory Neurotic, to garage rock in Dirt or more classic hard rock guitar riffs in Numb. Leah Duorsin, the vocalist, shows that she can explode many vocal registers, for some moments tender and melodic while reaching at same other points in the album really hardcore levels that could remind you of an enraged Phil Anselmo, in tracks like Break the Silence or Bitch.

Maybe the first time you listen to the album you can feel surprised by the rawness of their rock, but give you some time to appreciate that there is a real big musical spirit rocking behind this debut album. Aggressive vocals, aggressive riffs and aggressive lyrics for a band that is not afraid to carry the torch previously lighted by Vixen or The Donnas. I cannot wait to see them on live, since I have the impression that the songs will work even better with the four girls on stage.

Rating: 4/5

{mosimage}For all those who still don’t know, José González is not from Spain or South America and he’s music is nothing similar to the typical Latin pop star. As a matter of fact, José Gonzalez is an intimate singer and songwriter from Sweden.

Born in Gothenburg to Argentine parents, González has slowly built international popularity with his first album, Veneer, released in 2003 in Sweden, but which didn’t make it to the UK and US markets until 2005. Since then, his career has been a success with his songs reaching the top of the charts and even getting into the popular television series The O.C.

This success can be considered quite unexpected for a collection of acoustic folk songs. But José González seems to ride on the same wave that is taking to popularity to other singer songwriters like Devendra Banhart. Hippie folk is hype again.

After this success, it could be expected that the follow up to Veneer could compromise the songwriting of the young Swedish singer and force him to be more commercial. But little has changed and In Our Nature shows the same characteristics: a minimalistic intimate sound built around the acoustic guitar and vocal melody, with the occasional addition of mild percussion and synthesizer.

The sound will remember classic folk singers like Crosby, Still and Nash, Tim Buckley or Leonard Cohen while the lyrics tend to refer to nature, love and certain doctrine that seems to denounce the selfish nature of human being “How long are you willing to go before you reach all your selfish goals”, the singer asks in the first verse of the album.

Surprisingly, José González decided to include in this album a cover of Massive Attack’s hit Teardrop. That seems to be a wise choice because the song really fits in the context of the album.

With In Our Nature, José González will overcome the always-difficult second album. But it will not be groundbreaking because of its many similarities to the first album. In the future, he will need to expand to sounds to avoid repeating himself. Before that happens, In Our Nature is a very enjoyable album and people will love it as it shows the already sold out show at Tavastia next December.

Rating 3/5

{mosimage}The smartest rock band on Earth are back. Swedish The Hives know how to wear a suit on stage while make the people shake their assess with their direct rock and roll better than nobody else. I still remember their last appearance in Provinssirock, where I can admit that it was the gig I had the best time during the whole festival. After the huge success of Tyrannosaurs Hives (2004), it was about time to come back. For that, they have counted with the help of international acclaimed producer Pharrel Williams.

The band members claim that this album offers very new aspects in their music and more reflected melodies. Well, hard to believe when you go to explore the track list and get immersed in the album: songs of 3-4 minutes, straight to your head. A good dosis of rock and roll shot straight to blow your brain. But why should it be otherwise? The formula had worked before, and works again. From the starting Tick Tick Boom or the irreverent Hey Little World, you just feel like your feet cannot stop moving.

The Hives recorded good part of the album in Mississippi, and the American sound is very present all over the album. Not much time for Nordic reflective approach to music. The bass this time has a more notorious role that in previous albums, so Dr. Matt Destruction, the bass player, can feel happy about it. The Hives are back and they sound great again!

Rating 4/5

{mosimage}In his long career, Steve Earle has never played safe. Every new album adds a risky and unexpected element, either if that is the punk rock of the Supersuckers, the bluegrass of the Del McCoury band or the political protest of his previous albums Jerusalem (2002) and The Revolution Starts Now (2004).

This trend is not different with his latest release, Washington Square Serenade. Earle invited Dust Brother John King to produce the album. Yes, one of the producers behind Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique and Beck’s Odelay.

With John King behind the controls, Washington Square Serenade presents an array of contemporary sounds that collide with Earle’s traditional songwriting. Many hardcore fans might get annoyed by the samples and drum loops on top of Steve’s folkie guitar and harmonica, or the mandolins and the dobros.

But this production should not scare anyone. It’s the same old Steve Earle, anyway, and he offers a bunch of good songs whether he stays behind traditional sounds like Jericho Road  or he raps on top of drum loops like in Satellite Radio.

As usual, there is a duet with a female voice. After Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris and Stacey Earle, it was the time for Steve’s new wife, singer Allison Moorer, to be featured in the traditional duet that Earle includes in his albums.

Closing this new album is the cover that the singer did of Tom Waits’ Way Down in the Hole as the theme song of the last season of the series The Wire, where Steve Earle did a little acting too. This version fully embraces hip hop and it feels more like a bonus track that part of the beautiful poem to New York that is Washington Square Serenade as a whole.

Rating 4/5 

{mosimage}Neil Young releases the follow up of an album
that never saw the light. In 1976 in a fire at his house, the Canadian
songwriter lost the tapes of his project Chromes Dreams, an album that was
intended to include classics like Powderfinger, Like a Hurricane or Too Far
Gone. That project was lost and all those songs popped up later on in different
albums.

Chromes Dreams II does not have much to do with that project, and it
presents Neil's music wandering in different forms like acoustic ballads or
long guitar-driving epic songs.

This new album is built around an old song.
Young opens his archives and brings back Ordinary People, an 18-minute song,
recorded during the sessions of the This Note's for You in 1988. It was only
played live a dozen times at the time and since then it has been a favourite
among hardcore fans. It includes very good narrative lyrics and horns. It
reminds some of those long Dylan songs.

That’s not
the only unusually long song. No Hidden Path goes beyond 14 minutes. Not with
Crazy Horse this time, but it brings back the atmosphere of the underrated
album Sleep With Angels (1994).

But Chromes
Dreams II is an album of many different sounds, that evoke all the signatures of
the Canadian. There’s a bit of country (Beautiful Bluebird is a sweet opening),
pop (The Believer), rock (Dirty Old Man) and a surprise waltz tune with a
children’s chorus to end the album (This Way).

Even though
it might lack the wildness and the energy of a younger Young (no pun intended),
Chromes Dreams II will satisfy all the fans as it presents the most surprising
and diverse Neil Young album in many years.

Rating 4/5