Finding a pop album these days that doesn’t sound like every other pop album is quite a feat, so I never expect to. It’s like that old saying, “don’t expect anything and you’ll never be disappointed.” I know that sounds cynical, but it’s easily applicable to much of today’s music. I’ll explain. Those Dancing Days’ new album Daydreams and Nightmares isn’t a bad pop release. It’s catchy as hell, and has a few clever synth hooks along with plenty of riot girl attitude, but it’s nothing special.
Really the only thing that sets Those Dancing Days apart from other dance rock groups is that it’s an all-girl group from Sweden. This being their second release after 2008’s In Our Space Hero Suits, it doesn’t quite match up to their debut. But I’m sure they’d be a hoot to see live, because you don’t get many all-girl groups anymore.
The opening track “Reaching Forward” is one of the best songs on Daydreams and Nightmares, with a kick-heavy drumbeat and sassy melody, but after the opening track the album is a little bit one-note. With “I’ll Be Yours” and “Dream About Me,” I instantly thought of recent commercial sweethearts Neon Trees, but with girls. You take some late-60 guitar riffs with 80s synth lines and sexy vocals and you’ve got yourself a radio-ready pop record.
My two favorite tracks are “Forest of Love,” one that drives the synthesizer home, setting it apart from the rest of a record, and “Keep Me In Your Pocket” a song that employs hand claps through the chorus and pleasant lyrics that are easy to listen to at any time of the day. The rest of the album I’m rather apathetic about – I don’t dislike it, but I’m not blown away either.
The one thing that sticks out with Those Dancing Days for me is the drums. The beats that pervade the album aren’t the same ones you always hear on the radio, and the drummer is noticeably good. It’s the sometimes-overstated drums and sassy girl attitude that hold Daydreams and Nightmares together and make it just special enough, because otherwise we’d just have another pop album to pop onto the rotation going unnoticed.
Tour dates:
- 16/03 – Mohawk Patio, Austin, TX, US
- 22/03 – Mercury Lounge, New York, NY, US
- 23/03 – The Rock Shop, Brooklyn, NY, US
- 27/03 – Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden
- 28/03 – Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden
- 29/03 – Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden
- 30/03 – Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden
- 31/03 – Lebonk Music Machine, Helsinki, Finland
- 16/04 – Debaser Malmö, Malmö, Sweden
- 29/04 – Hornstull Strand Etablissement, Stockholm, Sweden
- 30/04 – Unknown venue, London, UK
- 11/05 – XOYO, London, UK
Go to http://www.thosedancingdays.com/start.
