I was pretty ready to say some really bad things about this album. Four songs into it, I was totally unimpressed. Disappointed by all the hype of this Swedish quintet, I wrote the supposed first paragraph of this review in my head: "Okay, everybody. Before we get all excited, let me ask you a question: who do you listen to more now, Gang of Four or The Rapture? Precisely. Love is All are the new Rapture: the group that really cares in a really catchy way but can't transcend its own influences and won't last past year-end 'best-of' lists."
That still might be true, I don't know. It probably is, actually. It's true with most bands. Let's face it. Unless you're Yo La Tengo, you've got a short shelf-life. In two years, I'll have put Love is All to the side, but right now, why not this record? Why can't I love some of these songs with all my heart? But this idea only came up halfway through the record, once the band truly unleashed lead vocalist Josephine Olausson on the fabulously bouncy indie-soul anthem, "Make Out Fall Out Make Up." Her voice becomes the centerpiece of the band's sound, and her happy-no-wave, talk-sing screeches (reverb-drenched, no less!) changes the course and drive of the entire album. The surrounding instruments””guitar, bass, saxophone, keyboard and drums””all seem to react to her emotional energy. The band exceeds the sum of its art-pop influences and becomes a band with an emotional statement. The only parallel I can make””and this is a dangerous one””is to when I saw Arcade Fire open up for The Unicorns, had no idea who they were, and was totally melted the moment they busted into "Wake Up" to begin their set.
But next up, "Busy Doing Nothing" continues just as strong, this time with more punk speed. It all starts with Olausson, and her manic and beautiful delivery propels the bright guitar line and super-stomp drums into the stratosphere. Her jitter and the band's jitter is the same. It's truly remarkable and makes what could've been a tired early new-wave exercise into something living and breathing, something that can really mean something to someone. God, it's fucking great. I mean, when her voice leaves, the echoes of her voice still trail while a lo-fi smooth ESG bass is left alone to keep the song going. But we all know the whole group will build it back up, and they do, with Olausson giving her strongest performance yet while screeching over cooed background vocals... this is wonderful, guys. This is the pop formula used to its maximum potential, the band enthusiastically employing familiar tension and release structures to make the listener feel as enthralled as they do.
"Felt Tip" is a misstep, the song recalling too many mid-level Elephant 6 sonic touches and tiredly catchy instrumentation to rise above its own plodding speed (the song should've just been that wonderful final minute). The band fares much better when they speed up again on the very next song. "Aging Has Never Been His Friend" is perfectly poppy and sunny funk-punk with a desperate edge. This could eventually be my favorite song on the record. A Unicorns-approved wet synth line follows the melody line and makes small, amateur mistakes while Olausson's voice just grabs that lo-fi sound and carries it into the light. And those are the big three for me.
Okay, they have a post-no-wave approach (complete with a full-time sax player) to the melody lines of Talking Heads and the unabashed pop swagger of The Go! Team (once again, a full-time sax player). That's all glaringly obvious on the worst songs on the album. But that doesn't matter when they succeed. Nine Times That Same Song all hinges on the fact that I believe Josephine Olausson, and when she really lets loose, the band follows her, and Love is All is one great new band. But when she holds back or missteps, the band missteps with her, all of their vulnerabilities in plain view. I know Olausson isn't the leader here or anything — they have proven in interviews to be a pretty democratic outfit. But for this reviewer, this whole album rests on how her voice manages the rubble.
Now for those missteps: I found "Talk Talk Talk Talk" to be a Yeah Yeah Yeahs-cum-indie-pop jam that couldn't hold my attention for even a minute. The melody line sounds tired, and the racket they make is unable to compensate for how familiar the hook sounds. It's an uninspired single at its worst, piling on the guitar lines, sax solos and backgrounds "woos" to try and prop up the chorus. And every review so far is making a big deal of how they yell "One more time!" to begin that song and the album. First off, there's nothing revolutionary about doing that, and secondly, the male voices lack the energy necessary to share the stage with Olausson. "Spinning and Scratching" is a serviceable companion to the big songs but can't stand up as listen-worthy by itself. The chorus verges on Go! Team parody... which I know may be unfair to say, but let's face it: we've already heard The Go! Team and now Love is All have to deal with that.
So in two years, who knows. I probably won't remember Love is All too well, although I'm sure some of these songs are going to find their way onto important mix tapes or played at emotional moments. But for now, I'm just going to love some of these songs with all my heart and let it be that. It's not a great album, but hey, few albums are. Love is All can succeed. Maybe even more than The Rapture.
1. Talk Talk Talk Talk
2. Spinning and Scratching
3. Turn the Radio Off
4. Used Goods
5. Make Out Fall Out Make Up
6. Busy Doing Nothing
7. Felt Tip
8. Aging Has Never Been His Friend
9. Turn the TV Off
10. Untitled
More about: Love is All
