Member:
doh
(Profile)
(All Album Reviews by doh)
Date:
5/16/2005
Format:
CD (Album)
I like to challenge myself musically from time to time and I was able to do that recently as I've been preparing the review for Prime Mover alias Drivkraft from the band, Prime Mover. Not only is the music widely varied from track to track, but lyrically this also was a jump for me since this was the first CD I've reviewed not in English. So that you don't think I'm the typical sheltered American, know that I'm fluent in Spanish and am becoming conversational in Japanese. However, this band, Prime Mover, is a group of five Swedish friends from Finland who speak the particular dialect only spoken by the 6% minority of Swedes in Finland. So, I can imagine that most listeners will be in the same boat. In a way, this CD is an immediate success because it clearly illustrates the universal language of music.
The music of Prime Mover defies classification and the members of the band are proud of that. In a way, they are a true progressive band since they pull and fuse pieces of many different genres of music. This keeps their music fresh and unique, while still providing enjoyment to the listener. Because they defy description, it's hard to give a point of comparison, but fans of Little Atlas will see many similarities.
"Vykort Från Södern" starts the album in a rather laid-back manner. It has the feel of a bossa nova rhythm while still maintaining the rock edge. The melody is catchy enough to run through your head after the song is over. "Några Bagateler" is a little more straightforward. I particular enjoy one reoccurring theme of this song that has the bass and lead vocals playing a question and answer theme. The following piano solo is very enjoyable and has definite jazz influence. Immediately following that is a keyboard solo more appropriate to the styles of Norlander or Sherinian. The variety in this one song typifies the variety of the album. "Utbränd" is perhaps the most distinct of all the tracks. It starts with a haunting vocal solo that almost has American Indian overtones. After approximately three minutes of this, it returns to normal rock rhythms and instrumentation. The keyboards shine throughout this section which might not surprise as this track was written by the keyboardist. After another 3-4 minutes, the style switches yet again to more of a light-hearted romp. The varying styles of the different movements of this track made it one of my favorites. "Öppen" is perhaps the most mainstream of the six tracks. This shouldn't be taken as a criticism as it also has one of the catchiest melodies. If it entices me to sing along in a language I don't speak, it must be doing something right. "Begagnat Liv" is the only track that didn't force me to figure out how to make an umlaut (the two dots thing over Ä and Ö). It's also the edgiest and heaviest of the tracks. I enjoyed hearing this edge as it provided some contrast to the other light-hearted tracks. "Folk Är Inte Kloka" closes out the CD with another varied, long track. Like "Ütbrand", it switches between many different musical moods. One favorite part is a middle section with the jazz trumpet solo followed by a keyboard and guitar question and answer section. Another is the ending which contrasts a fast jazz drum solo and a slow keyboard theme. It's the perfect ending to the CD.
One other compliment to give is on the tightness of the group. It sounds like they've played together for many years and it's only more remarkable to find out that they all live in different cities and have never played together live. The musical production is wonderful and every instrument is easily heard which creates the impression of distinct musical layers. Without disparaging the other musicians, I was particularly impressed with the creativity and talent of Sebastian Teir, who provides all of the keyboard instruments. The others (Dennis Nordell - vocals, Michael Karlsson - guitar, Roger Nyman - bass, Kenneth Lagerstrom - drums) also shine on their various instruments. In fact, I enjoyed how they all have their moment in the sun and how the group interplays with each other.
I applaud them for choosing to sing this CD in their native mother tongue after their previous albums were done in English. I would, however, recommend that an English translation of the lyrics be included. I hope that doesn't seem too Ameri-centric of me; I merely am curious to see what the songs that I'm enjoying are about.
Overall, this is a fine example of what happens when music lovers work together to create music they love. Their style is very welcome to this interviewer.
Rating: 7/10. This is a CD I'll pull out when I can't decide what mood I'm in. I have a feeling that there are others at Progressive Ears who will enjoy it even much more than I did.
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