Toronto – In order to break up the streak of two straight video game posts, I have decided to dip into Vik’s Scandinavian band pool and write a review on everyone’s favorite 30 member band – Swedish band I’m From Barcelona. I was going to describe what they sound like, but wiki does a good enough job: “eclectic mix of instruments such as clarinets, saxophones, flutes, trumpets, banjos, accordions, kazoos, guitars, drums, and keyboards among others.” Basically, they are a happy twee band.
I thought their debut album “Let Me Introduce You To My Friends” was pretty good, although it was sometimes too upbeat. The thing about happy music is – if you listen to it too much, you are always left wondering – “Why are they so damn happy!” Once you get into that mindset, you pretty much get more pissed as each song maintains the same happy vibe, and eventually it’ll be too much and you’ll go put on your favorite Rage Against the Machine album.
The band released their second full length LP – “Who Killed Harry Houdini” on October 14. Also, my mom’s birthday. Well obviously these Swedes did not do their research, as a simple google search spills out the answer:
“Harry Houdini died of peritonitis secondary to a ruptured appendix. It has been speculated that Houdini was killed by a McGill University student, J. Gordon Whitehead, in Montreal. Houdini died of a ruptured appendix, caused by Whitehead delivering multiple blows to Houdini’s abdomen.”
So how is the album you ask? It’s pretty good. I think it’s better then the first one. The sound hasn’t changed too much, but they sound less happy. It’s still kinda happy I guess, but when you are Swedish and everywhere around you are beautiful tall blondes, then I guess there is reason for celebration. Lead single “Paper planes” is not a cover of the MIA song, if you were wondering. It’s about “folding paper planes .. to clear my head”. How PG-13. As with other bands with lots of group members, the band uses gang vocals on choruses to great effectiveness (“Music Killed Me”). A lot of the songs features both male and female vocals (“Mingus”), which is always a favorite of mine.
All in all, its a solid twee album.
3.96/5
lead singer’s stache was worth 0.22 points.
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Horaayy..there are 4 comment(s) for me so far ;)
you beat me to this one. if you look in that picture you posted, the guy is holding a cup of coffee. Holding a cup or mug of coffee makes you look more important (teachers, my boss, my dad)
for a band of 30 some members, i don’t really feel that they play up to it all too much. I know plenty of smaller bands that sound much bigger then IFB. I like the big sound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvvz7jCpWmU
My favourite 30 member band is The Polyphonic Spree. IFB is probably second, tho.
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