Album Review : Lake Heartbeat - Trust In Numbers
- Written by Michael Cragg
Confession time; I have a massive crush on Sweden. Literally, every aspect of that country makes me sigh a little, hell, it even makes me cry a little. But tears of pure joy. The people are beautiful, the food is amazing and they're also pretty good at creating music that makes you feel simultaneously happy and wistful. By combining delicious pop melodies with lyrics about falling out of love, Sweden has made its name at the forefront of what no-one is calling "misery pop".
The mysterious Lake Heartbeat are Swedish and though their songs aren't as immediate as, say, Jens Lekman or Kleerup (both are label mates), they've clearly been given the "misery pop" gene. Over lashings of dreamy keyboard washes, polite beats and softly strummed guitar, their sound wouldn't scare a small kitten, with much of Trust In Numbers shying away from full blown passion in favour of a detached cool. There are times when the politeness leads to you almost forgetting that the album's on, as if the songs start to melt into the wallpaper.
But this is the Swedish way. There's no need to bash anyone about the head when you can quietly waft into view, leave your mark and slink out again before anyone's noticed. Hopefully people will notice though, given the fact that much of the album is achingly current. 'Pipedreams' sounds like Empire of the Sun, all sun-kissed melodies and catchy hooks, only this time the chorus runs, "I'm killing off a pipedream/I need a witness". It makes you want to do that Auntie-at-a-wedding dance whilst crying into your vodka. There's also the constant wreak of the 1980s, with an obvious homage to Steve McQueen-era Prefab Sprout and dashes of what was once called Balearic beat.
Elsewhere, 'Southbound' brings in some lush strings to augment Janne Kask's hushed, heavily accented, almost emotionless vocals. It's a style of singing that can sound bored at times (as on the dreary 'Let It Die'), but works well when there's more going on in the background. Highlight 'Blue Planet' starts with a bouncing drum beat before settling down into a gorgeous, ridiculously dreamy concoction of pattered drums and sweet falsetto.
Much credit should also go to producer Dan Lissvik (one half of Studio), whose crisp, clear production allows the songs to unfurl in their own time. There are melodies upon melodies of course, but they can take some time to make themselves known, as if they're still climbing out of bed on a bright Sunday morning. Trust In Numbers is a strong debut from a band that seems to shun anything close to promotion (there are no photos of them on their myspace page). Fingers crossed that despite their reluctance, they get the attention they deserve. That way I'll have something else to add to my list of why Sweden is the best thing, ever!