Lush Lullaby (Denmark) – Back from the Dead (EP title track)
Lush Lullaby (Lars Brehdal and his band) were ‘Waiting for the sun’ when they were last here at the beginning of November.
It never came but you can’t keep a good man down and here is Lush Lullaby again with a new EP, ‘Back from the Dead’ of which he says “All songs are about love that has turned sour. So, I guess it is a whine rock/punk EP. The song ‘Back from the Dead’ is partly about an experience in Jamaica.
Hm. What was that experience? Some black magic? (You can interpret that in several ways).
It’s hard to tell from the lyrics. The line “Women in the shed” intrigues me but I can’t get a handle on it. If I didn’t know any better I’d stick my neck out and suggest something voodoo-ish but I don’t think Lush Lullaby go there.
They are a punk/garage bank fundamentally but this song comes across as previous era slow rock without a noticeable degree of whining. It has a Joan Jett feel about it. Do you get that vibe?
The EP was recorded in Lars’ home studio and in the Dead Rat Studio, Aarhus, where it was mixed and mastered. Vocals, guitars, bass and keyboards by Lars Bredahl. Drums played and recorded by Jamie Parks in his studio in England.
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lushlullaby
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lush.lullaby/
Maylen Rusti (Norway) – Si noe tilbake (Say something back) (single)
I knew Maylen Rusti was releasing a new song but had forgotten about it it until I saw on her Facebook page that ‘Say something back’ was out, with an accompanying message in English. Hallelujah, I thought, she’s singing in English. She has done in the past but not recently to my knowledge.
But it was a Facebook false flag. Mark’s algorithms had realised I was in the UK and translated everything just for me. How nice.
But I persevered, as I always do with Maylen because she’s always bright and bubbly, irrespective of the subject matter. In this case, the title suggests some sort of impasse between her and the significant other because he’s keeping mum and won’t respond. Throwing a tantrum perhaps, as we men do.
And she never fails to pick out a tune. It comes naturally to her You get the impression from her songs that whatever the circumstances all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds in her corner of Oslo.
Her name could be the Norwegian brand name for Prozac. I’ll have a packet of Maylen please doctor.
Find her on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rusti.maylen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maylenrusti/
Mall Girl (Norway) – Emo Shred (single/track from album Pure Love)
It won’t take you long to realise that Mall Girl, despite talking about their “new musical bubble”in the PR for this song, has identified a certain style that they are sticking to rigidly.
They’ve perfected the craft of melding low-fi bedroom pop with math rock, two sub-genres that really shouldn’t fit together very well but they ensure that they do.
‘Emo Shred’ is the final single from the band’s new album ‘Pure Love’ and was released just prior to the album which launched on 26th January, on Jansen Records. The album deals with the full panoply of the lurve condition, by way of first breakups and then dating through post-break-up pain and insecurities.
According to vocalist Bethany Forseth-Reichberg (I can’t get over that name, it has ‘Vienna string quartet’ written all over it), it’s a song about “just driving around in a Chevrolet by the beach. Picture LA nights, sand between your toes and nothing on your mind, except that life feels pretty darn good.”
I don’t think I’d chance Santa Monica beach at night Bethany but good luck anyway.
The song emerged partly out if a liking they took last year to the 1990s Midwest emo scene in those geographical States in the US, a brand that encompassed unusual vocal styling, well-defined guitar riffs and arpeggiated melodies and which makes a comeback from time to time.
And you’ll find plenty of that again here. It helps too that they have a noted jazz drummer amongst them in the form of Veslemøy Narvesen. Heavily structured musical arrangements can benefit from the jazz percussionist’s touch.
They aren’t unique in Scandinavia. As I’ve mentioned previously if you didn’t know who they were you might think you were listening to compatriots Pom Poko, or boerd from over in Sweden. And there is always the opportunity for someone to argue that they are too technical, perhaps even ‘showboating’ their skills.
But I just try to take them as I find them and can’t criticise their innovation. They are one of Norway’s top bands in that department.
Find them on:
Website: https://mallgirlband.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mallgirlband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mallgirl__/
