Those Dancing Days - In Our Space Hero Suits

I thought I'd like this more than I do, but I have to be in the mood to really enjoy it. That's not to say that it's a bad album, just that there's a certain element of magic missing from proceedings. It all sounded so good in theory; the jangle pop backing, the youthful Scandinavian enthusiasm and the unique voice of Linnea Jönsson. Somehow they manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory however, and the LP has reverse synergy and is less than its constituent parts.

Maybe that's harsh, because at times, I've enjoyed the odd song and sometimes two or three songs on the trot. The band produce tight, functional little indie songs with distinctive and often beautiful vocals. Unfortunately, the voice and music don't quite gel, and although both are great in isolation, there's something odd about how they sound together. On the plus side I love the quirky openers to the songs, the bass consistently assaults my reptilian brain in a pleasurable way and there's a definite joyous feel to the album.

I feel like I've been overly negative as there are some fantastic songs on show. The standout track is the nearly anthemic 'Run Run', but 'Falling in Fall', 'Duet Under Waters' and 'Spaceherosuits' all have their merits. The main problem is they're all a little 'samey' and formulaic. Take quirky keyboard, add infectious baseline, complete with semi-anthemic song sung in northern soulish style and Bob's yer Uncle; you've got the eleven similar tracks on the album.

There's a lot of promise here however, and I'm really looking forward to listening to their current album next year at some point. It's about half way up the pile so I should get to it by March or April 2013. I'm loving this video! It makes the song sound so much better. Perhaps they're a better live band? Maybe 'Daydreams and Nightmares' will have that spark of magic to turn them into true superstars.