Search - Shout Out Louds :: Work

Works For Me

BJ Fraser | Michigan | 02/25/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This probably won't win Sweden's Shout Out Louds a bunch of new fans or be their breakthrough into mainstream radio--if there is such a thing anymore for non-American Idol affiliated acts--but for those who enjoyed the band's first two albums they should enjoy this third one as well. The sound isn't radically different and that's a good thing in this case. There's nothing more annoying than when an established act things they need to tinker needlessly with their sound or "experiment" in some other genre. It has the same easy flow as "Howl Howl Gaff Gaff" and "Our Ill Wills" that make it a pleasure to listen to the whole album.



If you haven't really heard this band but you're a fan of other acts like Belle & Sebastian, Kings of Convenience, Camera Obscura, or even the Cure then you should check this out. They are easily my favorite Swedish group since Roxette in the early '90s.



That is all."

Too Late, Too Slow

Brandon | Michigan | 03/27/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"So the first time I popped this CD in I knew I was in for something different. I could tell that their direction was changing from listening to "Walls" the first single. So I popped the CD in realizing that those real poppy flavored songs from the past two albums weren't going to be on this record. I knew that the Shout Out Louds were maturing. Listening to "Walls" I conjured this image in my mind that this was Indie's response to U2. So on came "1999." The song was peppy and had that great signature Shout Out Louds sound, but with more cohesion and direction. I thought to myself, I can really dig this new direction. It's the same band, just more focused and matured.



Then "Fall Hard" came on. I loved it even more than the first track. It reminded me of the same beautiful vibe "Hard Rain" gave on the last record. It is a slower track I guess, but really it's very danceable and peppy. I loved it. Then "Play The Game" came on. This one is definitely slow. But I thought to myself, not bad. I liked it, and can handle a few slow songs on a CD.



"Walls" is great too, but it leaves me wanting more. I feel like it took too long to build up, and then just stopped when it really began to rock. But it is a great song.



Track 5 is when the album takes a nosedive. "The Candle Burned Out" is a slow atmospheric song that drones on. It has nothing interesting going on in it. Unfortunately, track 6-8 have the same formula of slow and boring. Now, it's not that I'm biased against slow songs. The Shout Out Louds have written some excellent slow songs. However, these songs have nothing going for them. They are all filler. The bass does nothing, the guitars are contrived. I thought to myself, this album is becoming a bad 80s alternative album.



"Show Me Something New" the band picks it up again. Then the album finishes with "Too Late, Too Slow." This is an example of a good interesting slow. The dual vocals are beautiful. However, by that point of the album it really is too late, the album really is too slow.



In my opinion, they should've scratched songs 5-8 and just released a teaser EP. Now, I know that the band is transitioning into their new sound. But there really is no excuse for those songs. They proved in tracks 1-4 that they can really rock their new sound.



Overall, half of the album is good. The other half is completely forgettable. I find myself putting the CD in, listening to the first 4 tracks, and then skipping to track 10. I was quite disappointed with this release. But I gave myself a few weeks, and tried to let it grow on me. It didn't. It's not bad, just nothing special, but definitely a letdown from their previous albums. Hopefully, next time they come out with something more interesting.





"

Very diggable.

Hoddy G | Seattle | 02/24/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I dig this and I like the direction of the sound post-Ill Wills. Re: Rudolph's review, I agree this is a more focused sound, in a good way, and I definitely can hear the Shins' producer's influence, as Work reminds me a bit of Wincing the Night Away. Which I loved. But I would not call Ill Wills more 'slow burn' than Work--to me Ill Wills was more upbeat than this one. Anyway, rock on Shout Out Louds! Work definitely deserves more than ol' wordy-bird's 3 stars. Sweet album cover, too! Hilarious throwback."