Shout Out Louds Can Feel Free to Shout Louder
Those Swedes sure do know their Indie Pop.
Shout Out Louds
Work
Released on Feb 23, 2010
Shout Out Louds is a band of Swedish shape-shifters. Now, not everyone would publicize this, but the band doesn’t have to since it’s grossly apparent on its third full-length album, Work, which was recorded last year in Seattle. If you’re perplexed and uncomfortable with my first statement, let me rephrase: Shout Out Louds’ new record is a shape-shifter. Is that better?
Opening with “1999,” lead singer Adam Olenius instantly plugs back into the thick vocal renditions that have consistently tied the band to The Cure in the past. He sings, “I do remember, like a punch in the face, I never felt so alive since nineteen nineteen ninety-nine.” But the irony of this song is that its construction of a persistent, one-dimensional bass and slow percussion with an occasional smashing clap in the background (and yes, the vocals) make it reminiscent of an early nineties jam.
Enter the shape shifting.
“Fall Hard,” the second song of the album, is truly one of the high notes on Work, beginning with instrumental layering similar to Band of Horses. The instrumentation is so tight and crisp on this song that it could almost put other songs like “Four by Four” and “Too Late, Too Slow” to shame. This is one of the few songs on the album that adds in the soothing vocal support of Bebban Stenborg to complement Olenius’ lighter approach.
After this song, it’s difficult to explain what happens. Songs like “Play the Game” absorb the lugubriousness common in indie pop. While “Throwing Stones” brings in melodic singing packaged straight from the 60’s, filled with a peaceful, guitar-heavy intro. “Moon” is the most playful creation on the album, and shows off a quirkiness that is absent in the other songs. It’s a delicate pairing of graceful, drawn out violin play with the other instruments marching in short steps—and then it builds into one of the most emphatic and reverberant 60 seconds of the whole album. And “Candle Burned Out” is curiosity tiptoeing to the edge, singing out “ooouuuhhh, ooooouuuuhh” into the vast canyon of music that houses bands like Grizzly Bear. War-like drums and a minimal guitar presence carry it through, and though it adds another layer of complexity in defining what Work is, it is probably my favorite.
The last memorable note comes on “Show Me Something New” which leaks lyrical anxiety over a serving of pop-punk with lines like, “You and I have a hard thing to describe. You have so much to live for, I’m just dying to stay alive.” Then all the energy dissipates as the last song plays—it’s clear you’re meant to pull over and sleep now.
I love watching how maturing bands have evolved their sound from inception to present, but with their latest album, Shout Out Louds makes it hard to chart what is growth and what is recycled. Maybe it’s not that important, but throughout the entire experience I found myself asking the quintet, “Who are you?” If you’ve loved their music, then chances are you’ll love this album. But if you’ve just stumbled upon the record, you’ll find that although it’s shy of original, it’s got some well-composed high notes. And it will be impossible for you to tell your friends what the band sounds like in ten words or less.
High Point
The Swedes know what they're doing--Work will have you singing, "I think you'll understand, I don't want this to end."
Low Point
A watered-down version of The Cure and I'm pretty sure I fell asleep at least twice while listening to this album.
Posted by Beth Yeckley on Feb 25, 2010 @ 6:00 am
