Album of the Month : June 2004

MOONBABIES (S) : " The orange billboard" ( Chalksounds)

1. Fieldtrip USA

4:28

2. Sun A.M.

4:55

3. Over my head

3:47

4. Crime O' the moon

3:54

5. Jets

3:41

6. Summer kids go

3:09

7. Forever changes everything now

8. Slowmono

4:24

9. Wyomi

1:42

10. The orange billboard

6:56

11. You know how it is

2:59

I have grown to the songs of The Beatles and psychedelic groups (also Motor-city rock n' roll, but that's another story), and I still have a crush on bands who combine great melodies, neat vocal harmonies, inventive arrangements, and that little touch of experimentation and madness without which this recipe would quickly turn bland and predictable.

All this and more can be found on Moonbabies' outstanding second album "The orange billboard". Made of Malmö residents Ola Frick and Carina Johansson - who both do absolutely everything on this record except some drums and strings -, Moonbabies raise pop music to a level that has been rarely reached over the past few years. By mixing the timeless quality of the best 60's melodic pop with the gritty sound of today's indie-rock and spicing it with some exciting gimmickry, they produce a sort of chemical reaction, an unknown emulsion that joyfully flows out your speakers in multicoloured bubbles. These two studio sorcerers never work haphazardly though: they're very much - some will even say too much - in control all the time. It's the price to pay when you're only two to record such a rich and complex collection of songs, and to organize them in such a carefully thought-out track order that it definitely bans the use of the "random" button.

From the crunchy guitar-rock and distorted vocals of the opener Fieldtrip USA to the dreamy finale of You Know How It Is, through the delightfully hummable Sun A.M., the pure sugar pop of Crime O' The Moon, or the seven-minute multi-facetted title-track, the variety of styles is impressive throughout, but their common point is that the melody always comes first. Not only Moonbabies have a special knack to sprinkle these gorgeous tunes with unexpected sounds and nice electronic licks, but they also avoid too much prettiness by inserting dissonant passages like the harsh guitar sound in the middle of Sun A.M.. Not a new trick (remember those creaking violins at the end of "She's Like A Rainbow" or the screams closing "Hey Jude"), but it still works marvel.

Greeted with unanimous laudatory reviews in the U.S.A., "The orange billboard" has yet to find the audience it deserves in the old Europe. Join the fan-club now.

Band : www.moonbabies.nu

Label : www.chalksounds.com