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22 December 2023
Imagine if, one day, all the pissed-off Israelis and all the pissed-off Palestinians stopped throwing bombs at each other, and they just started hugging. That’d be pretty damn fucked-up. But, it could happen. Even the angriest people on Earth have hearts. It’s medically proven. Sure, it would shock the shit out of everyone to see the Gaza Strip become a place of peace, but I wouldn’t disapprove.
So I guess I don’t totally disapprove of this record, either. Usually, Dennis Lyxzen is Sweden’s prolifically pissed-off ambassador to rocking some righteousness into your lame ears, fronting the ever-fiery International Noise Conspiracy. And that’s what I was expecting when I got Songs About Running Away-- full-on sonic rioting and ferocity.
Yeah, the title made me cringe at first, too. "Aw, Christ," I thought. "This is going to be so emo." But it's not.
Joined by random, informal gatherings of his finest musician friends, Lyxzen penned 12 songs about love. Not politics and anger. Love. All 12 tunes. Something completely different from what he's typically known for. That earns huge points with me.
Musically, it’s a great little album to put on in the background. The songs don’t sound like typical modern rock ballads. They sound like something out of the ‘70s, a la Carly Simon; especially when a random clarinet will show up (“No New Manifesto”), or a song is kicked to up-tempo-life with bluesy, bouncing piano chords and deep background yelling (“200 Reasons Why”). Lyrically? Run-of-the-mill. Common sentiments are being expressed commonly. No inventive wordplay. No creative storytelling. That's pretty typical, though, when the topic at hand is matters of the heart. It’s the only real downside to the album for me, but I can easily let it pass. Especially when “Alright” kicks in, and I feel like I'm hanging out in Swedish Motown.
Dig it for yourself, courtesy of our good friends at Epitaph.
PURCHASE THIS OR SIMILAR ITEMS
So I guess I don’t totally disapprove of this record, either. Usually, Dennis Lyxzen is Sweden’s prolifically pissed-off ambassador to rocking some righteousness into your lame ears, fronting the ever-fiery International Noise Conspiracy. And that’s what I was expecting when I got Songs About Running Away-- full-on sonic rioting and ferocity.
Yeah, the title made me cringe at first, too. "Aw, Christ," I thought. "This is going to be so emo." But it's not.
Joined by random, informal gatherings of his finest musician friends, Lyxzen penned 12 songs about love. Not politics and anger. Love. All 12 tunes. Something completely different from what he's typically known for. That earns huge points with me.
Musically, it’s a great little album to put on in the background. The songs don’t sound like typical modern rock ballads. They sound like something out of the ‘70s, a la Carly Simon; especially when a random clarinet will show up (“No New Manifesto”), or a song is kicked to up-tempo-life with bluesy, bouncing piano chords and deep background yelling (“200 Reasons Why”). Lyrically? Run-of-the-mill. Common sentiments are being expressed commonly. No inventive wordplay. No creative storytelling. That's pretty typical, though, when the topic at hand is matters of the heart. It’s the only real downside to the album for me, but I can easily let it pass. Especially when “Alright” kicks in, and I feel like I'm hanging out in Swedish Motown.
Dig it for yourself, courtesy of our good friends at Epitaph.
PURCHASE THIS OR SIMILAR ITEMS
artid
1821
Old Image
6_4_lostpatrol.jpg
issue
vol 6 - issue 04 (dec 2003)
section
entertainmental