The Sounds - Young And Wild

"Put your hands up"

I've been a big fan of the Sounds since the beginning, but sadly their albums have been getting less and less interesting to me. The first two (which happen to be their most successful) are both masterpieces of the genre, but when album number three came out the band lost some of what made them special. The fourth release regained some of the sparks, but I'm sorry to say that this new album, Weekend, just isn't hitting me. It feels like it's just lacking that synthy punch and sharp songwriting that I fell in love with in the first place. Young And Wild, the last track on the album, is the exception. I like it not only for the driving beat and party atmosphere, but also because it's totally different from anything else they've ever recorded. It has a bright tropical, Caribbean sound to it with the production. And, though I wish the hook was a little more developed, it comes closest to matching that anthemic sound the band does so well. I'll go ahead and say it now. What I really want is a Maja Ivarsson solo POP album.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Felix Cartal - Tonight (ft. Maja Ivarsson)

"I'm gonna be the one for you tonight"

I was first brought to this track by Maja Ivarsson's involvement. For those who don't know, Maja is the lead singer of Swedish band The Sounds. I've been a massive fan of the Sounds since their debut album and always like to hear new material from them (though it's hard to really compete with their earliest stuff). Even though this is technically a track by Canadian producer Felix Cartal, it might as well be a new Sounds track since Maja handles all the vocals. Sure, it's a little more electronic than her band's usual output, but underneath all that fancy production is a catchy, simple pop song. The track's from Cartal's album, Different Faces, which was released a few months ago.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Top 20 Albums of 2011: 10-9

10. The Sounds - Something To Die For



After a disappointing detour from their synth-punk roots, the band came roaring back with their fourth album. It does what the band does best, offering up aggressive, dance-fueled rock with the glossy sheen of radio pop music. It nearly reaches the perfection of their first two releases.

9. Clare Maguire - Light After Dark



You can have your Florences and Adeles if I can keep Clare. Unfortunately, she was unable to meet their level of success with this album, but her layered 80's style really appealed to me. This is a lush album absolutely brimming with should-have-been-massive-hit-singles.

Top 50 Singles of 2011: 35-31

35. The Sounds - Something To Die For



A late-career highlight. Sometimes all it takes is a well written pop song, and this definitely fits the bill.

34. Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (TGIF)



Katy Perry's chart run continued unabated this year, and this track reignited interest in her brand of young, glossy pop.

33. Donkeyboy - City Boy



Foregoing their usual, more wistful sound for something more electronic, this is something of a revelation for the band.

32. Cher Lloyd - With Ur Love (ft. Mike Posner)



The X-Factor finalist's best single, and a perfect representation of what a Cher Lloyd album should sound like.

31. Salem Al Fakir - Split My Personality (Bassflow Remix)



Pair one of the best producers with one of Sweden's quirkiest pop artists and you have a cross-genre masterpiece like this.

Track-by-Track: The Sounds - Something To Die For

As I've stated multiple times, I was a little underwhelmed by the Sounds' last album. They're one of my favorite bands (and one I've gotten the chance to see live on several occasions), so I was hoping they'd make a turnaround with this new, self-produced album. And guess what? They have! This is their best release in years and on par with their first two classics.

1. It's So Easy - Half a song, half an extended intro. What this does, mainly, is signal the new--more electronic--sound of the album. There's not a whole lot of melody here, but it's a wonderfully atmospheric energy builder. 8/10

2. Dance With The Devil - This is such an anthem-in-waiting. It's back to a huge pop sound for the band, and it ranks among some of their very best work. From the stampeding synths to the cathartic chorus, this feels like a sequel to the excellent "Dance With Me" from their first album. 10/10

3. The No No Song - Back to a punkier, rock sound. This reminds me of their last album and isn't one of the stronger tracks here. Still, I can see how this would please their more rock-loving fanbase. It's actually grown on me as well. 8/10

4. Better Off Dead - We first heard this a few months ago when the band released it as a teaser. While I think it would be more effective later on in the album, the hypnotic electro production and catchy melody make this an easy standout. 9/10

5. Diana - As far as I can remember, this is the first time that Maja has referenced her bisexuality in one of the band's songs. Luckily, she does so in a punchy pop/punk song that blends the band's dual sounds to great effect. That surging chorus is pretty impressive. 9/10

6. Something To Die For - The first single, and the band's best single in a few years. It's one of those simple, straightforward pop songs with great emphasis on excellent melody. It may not hit you over the head initially, but it sticks with you. 10/10

7. Yeah Yeah Yeah - Another highlight. I'd call it their "Tony The Beat" or "Boombox" of the album. Ridiculously catchy, buckets of attitude/swagger and heavy on the electronics. I don't see how anyone could resist this. 10/10

8. Won't Let Them Tear Us Apart - The third perfect track in a row, this is something quite different for the band. It's got an enormous arena-rock surge to it, from the chanted vocals in the verses to the huge, roof-busting chorus. This could end up being my favorite track when all is said and done. 10/10

9. The Best Of Me - This is a little less successful. I'm not sure what it is about this song. I love the sound, but for some reason it feels like filler. Excellent filler, for sure, but coming after the last few tracks I can't bolster much enthusiasm around this. 8/10

10. Wish You Were Here - The Sounds don't record many ballads, and they've never recorded one like this. It's a tender, acoustic track that put's Maja's excellent vocals at the forefront. And the melody is BEAUTIFUL. 9/10

Album Grade: 9.1/10

The Sounds - Dance With The Devil

"We conquer our planet with dance"

Yes! This is exactly what I'd hoped for in new Sounds music. I've been enjoying their new album for awhile now, but this remains the definite standout. The last album was too rocky and generic for me, but this new one ups the pop and dance and is that much better for it. After an extended intro, Dance With The Devil opens the album with a thunderous synth attack. The verses have all the grandeur of a modern Final Countdown pushed onto the dancefloor. It's the kind of track that is instantly impressive and catchy from the first chorus. It's also a fists-in-the-air rallying cry -- something I've missed from the band recently. The album's self-produced, and it turns out that that decision has led to a creative resurgence. I'll have an album review up soon, but will probably end up skipping a post tomorrow since I'll be driving down to Seattle after work. See you next week!

The Sounds - Dance With The Devil by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

The Sounds - Something To Die For

"Don't say goodbye, just leave an open door"

To The Sounds: Thank you! All is forgiven. I say this because I was not a huge fan of the last album. This was a little difficult for me because I thought the first two albums were about as close to perfect as possible. I'm not sure what happened with that last one, and I know a lot of people liked it just fine, but the sound and songs just didn't coalesce the way the band's best work does. But so far, the tracks from their upcoming release have me very excited for what's in store. Teaser track, Better Off Dead, was great, but this song --the single-- is even better. I've heard some people say it's "boring" or "doesn't sound like the band," but to me this is exactly what I want from the Sounds. It's like a cut from their first album -- simple melody, heavy on the electronics, with snotty, charisma-filled vocals. That squiggly bit before the chorus is immense. If the rest of the album's this good, then I can't wait to hear it.

The Sounds - Something To Die For by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

The Sounds - Better Off Dead

"Why don't you kill me with your love?"

Well this is certainly a nice surprise! The Sounds have sprung a new track on us today -- not the upcoming single (or at least I don't think it is), but a crackling album track from their newest release. On first listen, I'm liking it a lot better than the first offering from their last album. For the first half of the track, Better Off Dead functions much like you'd expect it to, a catchy piece of dance-rock alternating between male and female vocals. Then, about halfway through everything goes silent, only to come storming back in a monstrous, almost symphonic attack of beats and synths and a few vocals. It's really quite impressive and ambitious and manages to sound different from the group's previous material while keeping their trademark sound. The band's done something kind of cool on their website, too. A few weeks back they had bands download the sheet music for this track and record their own cover versions without ever hearing the original. The winning cover will feature as the b-side to the single. Awesome idea!

Better Off Dead by The Sounds Official

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy their albums here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.