On their last release, the EP Leave Out the Sad Parts, Sweden’s Amandine were so drenched in mellowness that they practically drowned in it. This time out they’re still not thrashing or moshing, but they are going for a warmer more upbeat sound – in a nutshell, rootsy American music, the kind of thing you might have heard while cruising Route 66 40 years or 40 minutes ago. Even if singer/guitarist Olof Gidlöf and his band don’t fool you into believing that they are native roots rockers, the guys obviously have a healthy appreciation for our iconic highways and by ways.
If Amandine’s music sounded a bit cold and remote in the past, they take care of that problem right off the bat. The opening song on their new album “Faintest of Sparks” is much more immediate. With its pretty picking and front and center vocals, the tune almost has a rough demo feel. The sonic blues song “Chores of the Heart” is much smoother but it’s still catchy. The pace really picks up though for the feverish track “Secrets”. The song ticks away with a steady bum bum BA heartbeat and then continues to build and build until it ends with true gusto.
A few of their songs like “Shadow of Grief” and “Our Nameless Will” still fall into pretty but forgettable territory, but all in all, Solace in Sore Hands is a good step forward for these Americana-worshipping Swedes. |