Work, the third album and first in three years by Swedish band Shout Out Louds does indeed sound workmanlike in parts, as if the band are going through the motions and offering indie-rock by numbers. However, occasionally among the tracks on this very polished album there’s some real sparks of passion.
Among the highlights are the single ‘Fall Hard’, featuring great vocals from singer Adam Olenius and is by some stretch the standout track on the album. The bubbly ‘1999’ and ‘Single Walls’ with its horn section, are also good. But while the rest of the album is not poor, I just struggle to remember any of the tracks apart from those three and this comes after being sent the album over a month ago.
Shout Out Louds - Work
It has been speculated by Music OMH that the band produced the album amid a certain fatigue with promotion and touring. The disinterested image on the cover does indicate that they’d appear to prefer to be somewhere else.
I’m not sure it is that. It may just be that Work is one of those albums with a handful of great singles but not much else. Producer Phil Ek, who has worked with The Shins and Fleet Foxes has done a pretty decent job. There’s a big sound in places, stripped bare in others. But if the quality of the songs only stretches to two or three sure fire hits then there’s little more he could have done.
6.5/10
by Joe Lepper
Related Posts
