noisedfisk

The Embassy

2006.01.05

— Music

Let’s play a little game, shall we? What is the common point between those articles from Swedish weblogs, fanzines or magazines? Have a look at No Disco, Le Manchester, Revolver, P3 Pop or Shaktar. Even if you don’t know anything about the language, you’ll see that they usually published their Best records of 2005 where a band called The Embassy is often in the top 10, or that they wrote great reviews of their album, released in 2005, “Tacking”.

And this hype is not brand new. The Embassy’s debut “Futile Crimes” was listed in every best of 2002 list you’d care to mention, and in 2005 it was voted no 3 of the 21:st centurury’s best 100 records by 100 Swedish music people, as reported on their label, Service, website. Wow…

After reading such great reviews, I thought I just needed to understand what was going on in Sweden at the moment. I ordered their last album, “Tacking”, and received it a couple of weeks ago. And well, I just can’t make up my mind. The Embassy are reminiscent of 1980s bands, from the more popular electropop combos such as Depeche Mode or the Pet Shop Boys (which is not bad, but can be, from time to time, kind of irritating), or more obscure and indie, like The Wake or the Razorcuts (which is just… great). Maybe it depends on the weather, the moon, the stuff I had for lunch, the beer I had the day before, but I can love or loathe this album – almost at the same time… I can easily share Avi Roig’s views when he writes in his review: “It’s not that it’s outright bad or anything, it’s just that it’s so painfully mediocre that I’m shocked people are getting excited about it”… But the day after, I can dance along with Johannna Smith: “it sounds like what would happen if Pet Shop Boys and Sarah Records had a child, or in this case – two children. Although you could read in a million and one influences into this, this record sounds NOW. Like all pop should, but almost never does. Service has an impressive track record, but this is their best release by far. Tacking oozes of greatness, from “Some indulgence” to “Was that all it was” to the artwork. Swedish pop has never been better than this. I’m just glad I’m around for the party.”

So I guess you’d better make up your own mind: listen to It Pays To Belong (from Tacking), It Never Entered My Mind, or The Pointer (both from Futile Crimes).

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