Shout Out Louds - How Howl Gaff Gaff

There is certainly a lot of hype surrounding these Swedish kids. I almost feel a bit foolish by only reviewing this album now, considering we interviewed the band months ago. But despite perhaps our own tardiness, we like to do all things in our own time around here. And by now, I hope you have bought the hype and picked up the album, and you can read this review nodding your head thinking “Yes, this is a good album, worth of the attention it has received.” If you haven’t, then here is a friendly reminder to go purchase the album, and on first listen, nod your head thinking “Oh, so that’s what he meant by that.”. There has been a lot of great music this year, and it would be a shame for you to let these Swedes get lost in the shuffle. The album opener, “The Comeback,” has to be among the catchiest tracks floating in my head. (There is also a great remix by Brooklyn processed-rockers Ratatat that I would highly, highly recommend). The keyboard riff lifted straight from the Nintendo classic Excitebike triggers this near Pavlovian response in my brain telling me “It’s time to move.” The slightly country twinge and Adam’s near desperate shaky voice give this band a sound that wouldn’t be too out of place on say, Saddle Creek (and I mean that in a good way). The duet vocals and sloppy tambourine give “A Track and a Train” this innocence of a demo recording – where the song is still in this seemingly raw state, giving you a peak into the writer’s initial thoughts and feelings before playing it over and over again every night. The weakest point of the album might be the closer “Seagull,” which becomes bit repetitive with only 2 lines, a repeating flute melody, and clocking in at 8 ½ minutes. But maybe its just a nice let down to what is a quite nice album. [www.shoutoutlouds.com]