steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

My Autumn Sons

"Perfect" CDR

Series Two

Genre: lo-fi, indie pop

Sweden

October 2009

From the lo-fi bastion that is Series Two Records comes another promising mini-album courtesy of Swedish trio My Autumn Sons. Using a synthesized melody and rhythm section as their framework, these folks populate these serious, Arcade Fire and Tindersticks influenced songs with a variety of vocal styles. These include Chan Marshall-esque Anna Odlund, and the two male vocalists who range between Ian Curtis baritone to Bronski Beat falsetto.

The songs themselves are a mixed bag. At times, the synthesized nature of the instrumentation can wear thin - as on the cheesy strings on "Save Me" and otherwise charming "Sunshine." Ultimately, the songs that shine through are those with strong vocal melodies and rhythms that don't plod - pretty "Save Me" and poppy "Perfect" are among the best. Some of the other tracks sadly don't cut it. "Promised You" has hooks with serious potential, but the transition to the chorus is dreadfully amateurish. The rolling, Arcade Fire-esque urgency of "Again," meanwhile, doesn't transfer well to this sort of synth-based lo-fi material, and its same-note boy/girl 'harmonies' don't mesh with the track's otherwise convincingly momentous mood. Certainly, Perfect has its share of lo-fi treasures, but other songs flat out sink. Here's to a more consistent follow-up album.

my autumn sons' myspace

 

Michael Tau

[Vitals: 8 tracks, distributed by the label, released 2009]