REVIEW: The Concretes - WYWH

The Concretes – WYWH
MMM

Losing a member, especially a singer, can certainly affect the character of a band. Following the departure of vocalist Victoria Bergsman, who kicked off a solo career providing vocals for Peter Bjorn & John’s breakthrough “Young Folks,” The Concretes restructured: drummer Lisa Milberg assumed lead vocal duties and the band set out on a new creative direction. WYWH is the second album with Milberg leading following 2007's Hey Trouble and sees the band moving further away from their more upbeat, twee sound.

With WYWH, The Concretes have begun to craft a new, moodier sound, adding a melancholic undercurrent to a hybrid of indie pop, disco, and Eurodisco. Milberg’s gentle, yet sweetly seductive vocals help to produce a groove-oriented melancholy, one that defines an inner struggle to find balance between the dark and light. The album finds the band working more of a laid back vibe, often emphasizing mood over hooks. In a relaxed, reflective way, WYWH pits the upbeat rhythms and spirit of disco/Eurodisco against the brooding side of indie pop retrospection.

Album opener “Good Evening” sweeps you away in a cloud of dream pop allure and hooks with a deep bass groove. “All Day” is a slice of pure disco with expected synths, pop melody, and, yes, even instrumental breaks that feature synthesized flute (or what sounds an awful lot like a synthesized flute). “What We’ve Become” highlights that indie pop/disco cocktail, dancing with jabs of electric guitar and an elastic, distorted bass riff. These songs demonstrate that the band can nail mood and texture even on a canvas of disco and indie pop.

The Concretes prove themselves to be adept purveyors of Swedish indie pop – that goes without question. And while songs like “Good Evening” and “Sing For Me” succeed in capturing that moody groove, the album as a whole is unable to fully lift itself past a feeling of familiarity; it sounds like the band is still working towards producing something truly captivating. The songs that make up WYWH aren’t necessarily bad by any means, but they lack a quality that would elevate them past being familiar. Even so, WYWH still ends up a beautiful, soothing, and dreamy record that makes for an enjoyable listen that, at times, has its moments of melancholic bliss. It certainly builds interest for what comes next.

BUY: WYWH is out now on Friendly Fire. Pick it up on Amazon, Amazon MP3, iTunes, or direct from Friendly Fire here.