Apple Bay by Irene

I really wasn't that sure of what to make of the musical collective of fun and sun loving swedes called Irene, at first I noticed the lead on most tracks sounds like a mix of Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits mixed with Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits and solo fame and enough Roy Orbison to keep the old school happy, then I noticed that they are singing songs that seem like a fusion of 1960s pop, British Invasion and Beach Boys style Surf Rock, and then I noticed that though the album actualy flow by rather fast time wise, I was actuall enjoying myself. Now I know these things all don't add up on paper, but for some strange reason, in audio form, they blend together so well that I really feel like I've been taken back in time, apparently the swedes have discovered the secret to time travel first, I blame Nobel, but thats a whole other thing (and just put in as a joke.)

I am not sure if the band set out to intentional bring back the fun free summer feel of the mid 1960s or not but they did, and they do it so well, like, I'm sitting here in my office looking at the rain wishing I could toss this in the cd player in my convertable and head for the coast for the day. Its kind of like that whole cover old songs thing Smashmouth tried to do afew years ago, but this time, it doesn't suck or reak of failure and dead famous people. This is actually very enjoyable to listen too, even though some people might be offended by some of the more adult lyrics "you push me away and say I'm out of luck, then pull me close when you want us to fuck" from the song "Only You" for instance or one of the woman making a referance to a guy's hand rubbing her crotch in "Cold Feet", though admittedly there are only two of three times the sexual referancing is obvious enough for it not to get overlooked by the non-serious music fan, and even those songs you hear it is they're not forced, they do fit naturally into the song. Even if its abit strange to hear a song that sounds like a Beach Boys tune with naughtyness in it.

They do rely abit more heavy then I would like on that whole "bada bup badadada" type sing along chorus/song filler type thing abit more then I would have liked personally, but its not enough of a problem to ruin the album in the slightest. I will say that I have the same problem with this ablum that I have with alot of the ones I've reviewed this past week or so, it suffers from lack of time, most songs are between 2 minutes and 40 seconds to about 3 minutes and 10 seconds or so, and though they fit the genre they preform in and are all very well done, I still would rather a longer song, and a longer album for the cost of CDs these days, thats just a personal preferance though, because right around the time I'm getting full swing into a disc, I hate when it stops or starts to wind down in some way. Thats what happend here, I'm really getting into it right around "Baby I Love Your Way" and two tracks later the album is done and leaving me waiting for their next release. I understand the theroy of leaving them wanting more, but god damnit, toss a guy some scraps or a B-Side or accoustic reprise ya know?

Will people like Irene and their latest outing Apple Bay? I think if they forgive them for the seeming misplaced 1920s sounding folkish guitar intro that I don't seem to actually get or see why its there cuz it doesn't fit at all, and listen to the rest of the ablum then yes, they will like it, it grows on you as the album progresses like, even if you dismiss it as something you'll give a listen to just to be fair like I did, by the end you want more and you find yourself singing along by the middle of it and such. Its just hard to not have fun with this album, its a definate stealth album if I ever heard one, so give it a shot, see if it will surpirse you like it did me.


Artist: Irene
Album: Apple Bay
Genre: Retro Pop, Singer/Songwriter, BritPop, Swedish Pop


Apple Bay By Irene


By: BC

Math and Physics Club by Math and Physics Club

For some reason as of late, I've really become endeared with what i call "throwback acts", Math and Physics Club is definately that, sort of hailback to the early british invasion era of the 1960s with a very uncanny simularity to Herman's Hermits most notably, and in their self titled debut, Matha nd Physics Club have really shown that though music has progressed and moved past the british invasion, its good to go back and kind of hang out with it now and then.

The album itself consists mostly well crafted and beautifully arranged love songs and 1960s style bubblegum pop, its really interesting how a basement band small time project like this band can actually incorperate such modern terms and ideas and mesh them with a sound that timestamped an era in the way it did. I've always been a big fan of that sort of work, new light on an old school sound. Course, I'm a big Peter Noone fan, so I would love a throwback to his sound.

Afew notable tracks, "Darling Please Come Home" is a lovely lead off track that has a masterfully played guitar as the driving force of the track, it sounds like it was done on one of those old 58 Gibson guitars that rocked so harshly. "I Know What I want" is a lovely song about not giving up on a love that means more then the singer realized, its great, "April Showers" is a pretty little song that sounds abit like someone from acrossed the pond singing a happy Simon and Garfunkel track from the early days before they went all overly political and serious (not that I mind simon and garfunkel that way mind you..), its a pretty love track about curling up under a big umbrella in the rain. "Holidays and Saturdays" is a sort of an internet love song, its nicely done and well writen. "La La La Lisa" is a musicans love song, writen about a woman in another band and they're right, there is just something about a woman with a bass guitar...

The rest of the album is the same sort of work, its just a delightfull trip back in time to the era when people knew how to write a song, and knew how to play instruments, like actually play, not repeat the same three chords over and over again at an annoyingly breakneck speed wile someone screams over them, and when value was placed over just mindless agression of corperate marketing plans. I don't think anyone will be let down by this if you open your mind and give it an honest listen.


Artist: Math and Physics Club
Album: Matha nd Physics Club
Genre: Indie Pop, Retro Pop, British Invasion

Math and Physics Club (self titled album)


By: BC