Heave Media

Architectural Tours through Helsinki

We hop on the proverbial boat tour through Helsinki and check out <i>Places Like this</i>.

Architecture in Helsinki

Places Like This

Released on Nov 30, -0001

I can't put my finger on what exactly Architecture in Helsinki "does," but I know I enjoy it quite a bit. The seven members come together and make noises that no normal band makes. The other day somebody asked me what AIH sounds like, and I said that, "Architecture in Helsinki is what classic rock would sound like had classic rock been invented by four year olds in the year 3020." This description becomes perfectly accurate immediately after Places Like This starts.

AIH runs the entire spectrum of music. Sometimes they sound like a George Clinton song, other times they sound so much like the B52's that I have to check the liner notes to see if Fred Schneider was a guest on certain tracks (which, he wasn't). You also get tracks like "Lazy (Lazy)" that are so undeniably catchy that you can't stop yourself from singing the first line of the song over and over again (which is "He is a mean talking bean," in case you were wondering). "Like It or Not" delivers the chorus of "I don't think she's in love with you," over and over again. It's a terrible premise, but the overall joy of AIH makes it a pretty tolerable thing to hear. I hope they deliver all the bad news I'll hear throughout my life.

While the CD is a good time, it's a pretty short good time. Ten songs, and none of them clock in past 3:54 seconds. I tried to calculate the average length of the songs and I came up with around 3:15. A math major I was not, but I know a short CD when I see one.

Out of the ten tracks, I would say 2 of them are completely forgettable. "Nothing's Wrong" and "Debbie" could be mistaken for the same song and can be skipped over with no remorse. However, the other eight are strong enough to make Places Like this a solid album.

Old fans of AIH will put this on par with their previous releases. New fans to AIH will have to get accustomed to the overall quirkiness of the band; but everyone should find some enjoyment out of this album.

Posted by Wes Soltis on Sep 18, 2007 @ 12:00 am