Wonderland
3 February 2014
Sincerely Yours
3.5 stars out of 5
Wonderland is
former The Tough Alliance member and Gothenburg citizen Eric Berglund’s second
album as ceo. As one might expect, it’s full of sunny vocal melodies laid
overtop bouncy Baleric pop electronics. A satisfying record on the whole, it’s
not a particularly deep musical statement, but it’s fun and has enough going on
to make it interesting and engaging.
“Whorehouse” is a bouncy 2014 revival of the ‘70s revival of ‘50s
doo-wop pop set to the latest bleeps and bloops. The irrepressibly sunny
“Harakiri” is the first of several instrumental tracks on the album. Picture a
mid-tempo ballad by The Cure with plenty of vocal samples and you’ve got the
idea. “Mirage,” besides containing the most complex vocal melody on the album,
is an arresting tune made out of moody keyboards and minor key angst. The
rhythmic samples of “Wonderland” make it sound strangely like Skinny Puppy’s
“Assimilate,” sped up and topped off with a pop melody. “Ultrakaos” is a busy
mostly-instrumental danceable track that also makes for interesting listening
for listening’s sake. It has enough details to make a close listening worth it
and enough energy to keep your feet moving. The closing “OMG” somehow manages
to make a sad and nostalgic song sound sunny and positive.
Berglund’s dense compositions are anathema for fans of
minimalism. This is some very busy music, where every single space, no matter
how small, is filled with something surprising and new. ceo is all about the little
details, hiding in plain sight in the dazzling Baleric sunshine. A solid record
from a talented musician.
reviewed by Richard Krueger
No comments:
Post a Comment