emerging creativity

Friday, July 4, 2008

Login |
Signup

Launch Radio

The Mary Onettes

The Mary Onettes (Labrador)

By Anne Ichikawa
Published: December 4th, 2007 | 12:02pm

Article Tools
print
share
- Del.icio.us
- Digg
- reddit
- Facebook
- Newsvine
- Permalink
save

Synths and drum machines and moody vocals, oh my! Yes folks, when you listen to the Mary Onettes' album, you will be taken down a yellow brick road, where you'll meet strange and interesting characters like a cherry-lipped Robert Smith, monkeys will fly on keytars, and the wizard will have an asymmetrical haircut. But, I'm getting lost in a lousy metaphor right now, so onward ho.

From Sweden, the Mary Onettes' self-titled debut lands in America after some delays and record label problems over the past few years. But, they persevered through it all, landed on its feet with the Swedish label Labrador, and produced an album of romantic, walleyed, dream pop. The band unabashedly takes its musical cues exclusively from that great decade (minus the Reaganomics and shoulder pads), the 80's. It's hard to listen to songs like "The Companion" and "Pleasure Songs" and not think of the Cure and New Order—it's simply impossible not to make the comparison. Then there's the voice of songwriter Philip Ekströms, who not only is able to produce the hooks and melodies, but also supplies the earnest, lovelorn voice that accompanies it best.

As always, when a band sounds so much like its original predecessors, why not just pop in Power, Corruption & Lies or Boys Don't Cry? That being said, every song on the album is pleasurable sonic experience. The romantic production of each song will have you rescoring different John Hughes films. I swear to you, visions of Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and Andrew McCarthy will dance through your head. So, put on this album, close your eyes, and enjoy the nostalgia. There's nothing wrong with a little trip down memory lane.