Joy to the world… Records have been brought!

Even though it is dark and raining, roasted almonds and hot wine makes everything better. So does good music! As I started a few days ago to summarize my top 20 albums of this year. I listed 20-11 in my last post, so now I will list the 10 best albums of this year. So here is the best albums of this year from 10-1!

10. Deafheaven - Sunbather


Do not let the pink cover fool you. This is not some indie-pop duo from Montreal which has some really nice hooks. This is a black metal album. But in a way it is not a black metal album. My friend summarized this band really well by saying " Sehän on bläkkistä duurista!" The beautiful shoegazing influenced guitar riffs and wishful lyrics give this album a feeling that will stay with you forever. This is art!

9. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away


Nick Cave has always been a talented songwriter, but with Push The Sky Away he really shows it. The slightly electronic and almost looping playing gives this record a really calm and beautiful touch. When you start listening to this record you fall into a deep trance that keeps you in its hold for the whole record.

8. City & Colour - The Hurry And The Harm


This record really grew on me. Dallas Green is well known from the hardcore band Alexisonfire, but he really shows he is capable of writing really nice folk/country songs. The sounds are really well crafted and the lyrics on the record gives you chills through your bones. The captivating almost falsetto singing of Dallas Green give a really nice touch to the record! 

7. Frank Turner - Tape Deck Heart


Frank Turner out did himself this time! The success that he got from the last England Keep My Bones record pushed him to the big leagues and of course there is a pressure for the next record. These songs are probably the best ones he has written ever. And the emotion Frank Turner gave to the singing really takes the record to a next level. These are the songs Frank Turner was meant to write and get out of his system. 

6.  Kanye West - Yeezus



After the critically acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy it has been a uprising for Kanye West. He did not tell anything major about the upcoming record. Only that he is in the studio making real music. There was no artwork done for the record ,because Kanye West said it is not necessary. Yeezus is a raw, brutal, angry driven record that shows again what kind of a man we are dealing with. Kanye West can say he is a God and no one will not argue against him! This man is Yeezus!

5. Touché Amoré - Is Survived By…


Is Survived By… Is beautiful. The post-hardcore band took me in their journey with their last record Parting The Sea Between Brightness and Me. But this record really shows what the band is capable of doing. The very well crafted song structures make you feel that you are listening to a one really long song. The rawness of Jeremy Bolms singing and the personal lyrics give a really good atmosphere for the record and keeps you in its touch for the whole ride. These guys are going to be very huge!

4. Antero Lindgren - Talking With The Dead


Talking With The Dead, what a package. Antero Lindgren gave people something to talk about with his debut album Mother which was a dark folk record that was playing in my stereos for the whole fall. But with Talking With The Dead Antero created the perfect summer record! The dynamic songs and almost anthemic melodies of the songs stay in your head for weeks and when you close your eyes you see yourself driving on a highway on a hot summer day. Antero Lindgren is said to be Finlands Bruce Springsteen and that is a fact! 

3. The National - Trouble Will Find Me


The National has released really good records for a while. The critically acclaimed High Violet was a breakthrough for the band and people were expecting a lot from the new record. And fans were not disappointed. The Dessner brothers again show how you can make very beautiful songs with very simple chords and variation. Matt Berningers voice has gotten more powerful after quitting smoking and you can see it on the record when Berninger goes to higher notes so easily. This record is that kind of a record which you just put on and lay on the floor thinking about stuff. A very beautiful and raw record.

2. Biffy Clyro - Opposites


It has been a very rewarding few years for Biffy Clyro. Their last record Only Revolutions really got the band to play on bigger stages and even made the band play a headlining stadium tour. When they informed that they are going to make a double cd with 20 songs I was a little concerned. That is a lot of songs for a record. But they did it. The variation of the songs keep you listening more and more to the record and the slightly ironic lyrics of Simon Neil keep your mind up. As the band themselves told that they went as far as they could in the massiveness of the sound and they have to start from scratch for the next record. This is a big triumph for Biffy Clyro and they can be proud for all the claim they have gotten for the record!

                                                         1. Deaf Havana - Old Souls

Deaf Havana you say. What is this band you say. Well now you know. This band from England has had a really hard journey for their whole recording life. After the hardcore debut album the band lost their lead vocalist and guitarist James Veck-Gilodi took the lead vocals under control. The sound shifted very quickly to alternative-rock and a critical acclaim was reached in England. With their third release Old Souls they really show what they are capable of!
From the first song Boston Square you can find influences from bands like The Who and The Clash and the anthemic guitar sounds and raw singing of James Veck-Gilodi gives the song a really powerful grip. The variation of instruments and sound of the songs give a really well processed feeling for the whole record. You keep listening to the songs more and more and the very personal lyrics of James really make you think that has he really gone through all these things in life. This band is going to get really huge, I mean really huge! You better keep this band behind your ear and take a listen to the perfection of the Old Souls, I demand you to do it!

Last christmas I gave you... a lot of records

I feel bad for not posting any reviews for a while. I have had so much other things to do that my mind has not given me time to think about music in the way it deserves to be thought.
It is almost christmas. People are awkwardly nice to you in the stores and you can feel the tension of people wanting to start their christmas holidays already. For me winter has always been a really awful time. I hate the cold and the shifting temperatures in Finland, but Christmas Eve is always as calming and beautiful as ever. I myself am sitting in my hometown starting to relax from the quite colorful and difficult year of my life.

But enough of babbling. I was thinking that instead of making an album review I would list my top 20 albums of this year! This was a really tough call for me, because there has been a lot of great releases this year that have given me great feelings through the year. But here they are starting from 20 to 11. Heeere we go!

20. Bring Me The Horizon - Sempiternal


Bring Me The Horizon… I have always had a love/hate relationship with this band. Their earlier work was terrible and almost made me want to destroy every audio producing material I have in my apartment. But Sempiternal, it struck me down. The melodical slightly electronical sound the band has created around them has shown that the band can actually make really good structured songs. This is not a band that has a teenage based fan club anymore, these guys have a Cult!

19. Earl Sweatshirt - Doris


Doris what a package of emotion. When I first heard Earl Sweatshirt in Odd Future he got my attention immediately. He has a very unique flow to his music that shows he is a skillful rapper. The raw samples in his debut album are top notch and the almost depressed rapping of Earl Sweatshirt cover the songs to a perfection. You better check him out and go see him live in Nosturi, Helsinki in March!

18. Arctic Monkeys - AM


I have to say. I did not listen to Suck It And See record from Arctic Monkeys. That record kind of just passed by me. I was really controversial about this record, but the band has actually done something really interesting here. The Queens Of The Stone Age kind of vibe through out the record gives the sound a really dynamic and pumped up feeling. In AM Alex Turner again shows that he still has his songwriting skills under control.

17. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories


This duo. Holy duck what they did with this record. I can believe a lot of the old school fans can be really confused and annoyed about the really new style Daft Punk took for this record. But the sounds. Oh god the sounds, they are orgasms in your mind. From the first song Give Life Back To The Music to the finale Contact you are just jaw open listening to the variety of 80s funk and big band influences. If you do not dance to these songs there is something wrong with you.

16. Arcade Fire - Reflektor


Arcade Fire got me with their last record The Suburbs. The anthemic sounds of the rock album really gave the right approach to their music. With Reflektor they went even better. This year it has definitely been a really important aspect with artists and bands to get influences from the 80s electronic styles. The disco funk sound of the title track Reflektor and the ethnic sound of Here Comes The Night Time give this album a really easy approach and is an easy listening to people who are not familiar with the bands work before. Great job Arcade Fire!

15. Haim - Days Are Gone


These three sisters blew the bank. Haims record was those kinds of records that had to be listened a few times before you got something out of it. They showed other artists how to make really anthemic 80s pop/rock that many bands have been trying to reach for awhile. The Paul Simons Graceland sounding bass lines and the flowing melodies of the songs give this record a nice twist and keeps you listening to it more and more. You go girls!

14. Drake - Nothing Was The Same


This is Drakes year. His last record Take Care was an emotional raw package that was hard to match in the rap scene. But Nothing Was The Same burns everyone to the ground. The samples on this record are beautiful and Drakes singing and rapping is better than ever. This is the record that Drake made for all the haters and jealous people for his success. And that success he has deserved!

13. Sigur Rós - Kveikur


It has been a tough year for Sigur Rós. Their last record Valtari did not get the acclaim that the previous records got from reviewers and people were talking that they had loosen their grip in music. The bands pianists Kjartan Sveinsson left the band and Sigur Rós reduced to a trio. They had to take a new approach to music. Kveikur is rough, brutal, aggressive and full of passion. The self produced record really showed that the band can take a risky jump from the calming ambient driven music to a more noise based pumping. It is a new start for the trio and a fine start at that!

12. Chvrches - The Bones Of What You Believe


This trio really did it this year. They brought everything you wanted from an electronic record to the table. Lauren Mayberrys soaring singing and Iain Cooks and Martin Dohertys really combined playing really captivated the sound on this record. The songs have really good pop hooks and makes you listen to the record more and more. This is a really good debut album that gives a bright future for the band.

11. Moonface - Julia With Blue Jeans On


Spencer Krug out did himself this time. The electronical record in co-operation with Siinai was a really captivating concept, but when he released Julia With Blue Jeans On he really showed what he is capable of doing. The rawness of Krugs singing and only playing the piano gives such a soothing and fulfilling atmosphere to the music that it keeps you inside the feelings of Spencer for the whole record. A really beautiful and promising record from a very talented singer/songwriter.

Niklas Aaltio

Let me take you to my room...

Artist: Moonface
Album: Julia With Blue Jeans On
Release: 29.10.2013
Label: Jagjaguwar
Tracklist:
1. Barbarian
2. Everyone is Noah, Everyone is the Ark
3. Barbarian II
4. November 2011
5. Dreamy Summer
6. Julia With Blue Jeans On
7. Love the House You're In
8. First Violin
                                                                            9. Black is Back in Style
                                                                          10. Your Chariot Awaits

 Moonface aka Spencer Krug is a canadian singer/songwriter most known for his experimental indierock bands Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown. In 2010 Mr. Krug created the alter ego Moonface where he started experimenting in the various sounds he created with Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown. He made a collaboration with the finnish instrumental band Siinai and they created a massive record called Heartbreaking Victory which told the dark story of breakup.

 This year Spencer is back with his new record Julia With Blue Jeans On. Recorded in Helsinki Mr. Krug took a different path to the making of the music. He left all the electronical sounds and instruments out of the picture and recorded the album with only a piano and vocals. This is a very dangerous path for artists that are known for their massive sounds in various releases.

 The record is massive! Even though the rawness of the music when Krug is bashing the piano and breaking his voice through out the song it gives the music a really complete sound. It is almost as you could hear the backup band playing in the background. The rawness of the album is almost as pure as when Rufus Wainwright released All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu, the piercing vocals give you goosebumps and make you think about your own reality while the smoothing sound of the piano takes your worries away.

 Moonface wanted to tell the story of breakup in his last record, but in JWBJO he wants to tell the process of getting through it and into a new start. The pounding realization of being the victim of the person you love ( Barbarian), to the process where you want to take that one back to your room ( November 2011) and finding that one perfect fragile thing in your life that you can hold on to (Julia With Blue Jeans On), give you understanding that this are actually the words that Spencer Krug wants to get out of his mouth. These are letters of grief and understanding that will help him to move on.

 The melodies and singing on the album is extremely beautiful, in a way Mr. Krug has always given me slightly the same vibe that Paul Banks from Interpol has given me in their best moments. The skillful and playful composing of the songs give a lot of room to the music and keeps you interested. The ceremonial piano of November 2011 makes you feel that you are in a sunday church trying to get forgiveness for your sins and the ravaging ending song Your Chariot Awaits leaves you satisfied about the record.

 There is one slight problem with the record. Although it is good in many ways and the nice switch to a raw sound with just piano and singing it is also its weakness. In some of the songs you lose your concentration and miss some of the greatest parts of the music because of the similarity of the sound in many of the songs. But even though it has some of its misses this is a record that stays with you for a long time and specially in these dark november nights.

4/5

Niklas Aaltio

Spotify : Moonface – Julia With Blue Jeans On
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoonfaceOfficial?fref=ts
Website: http://www.moonface.ca
Buy the record: http://www.levykauppax.fi/artist/moonface/julia_with_blue_jeans_on/#cd

I need you so much closer...

Artist: Death Cab For Cutie
Album: Transatlanticism
Release Date: 07.10.2003
Label: Barsuk
Tracklist:
1. The New Year
2. Lightness
3. Title and Registration
4. Expo '86
5. The Sound of Settling
6. Tiny Vessels
7. Transatlanticism
8. Passenger Seat
                                                                                                  9.Death of an Interior Decorator 
                                                                                                 10. We Looked Like Giants
                                                                                                 11. A Lack of Color
                                                                  

It is november. The days are darker and feeling are moody almost every day. This time of the year I always take a few precise records from my shelf and listen to them in a repeat. Few of these kinds of records are Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago, William Fitzsimmons - The Sparrow & The Crow and Death Cab For Cuties almost every record. But not Codes & Keys because it is almost like a love record. I wanted to choose Transatlanticism because it was released ten year ago and DCFC have released a tenth anniversary edition of the record!

Death Cab For Cutie has always been one of my favourite bands and Ben Gibbards and Chris Wallas co-operation is something many artists cannot fight with. Transatlanticism is also a good cornerstone with the band, because DCFC got a record deal with Atlantic when releasing this record and got a breakthrough and was recognized by reviewers and public.

The sounds on the album are beautifully crafted. The record has the slight rawness of the emotions that the band wants to give to the listeners, but in a delicate way that it makes the record even more worthy to listen. The painful singing of Ben Gibbard and echoing guitar playing of Chris Walla really brings out on this record. And the major point of using the piano as an instrument brings a new side to the band. This is one of the slowest records Death Cab has ever made, but because of the chillness of the songs it gives an relaxing time for the listener and makes your mind wonder of to the deepest corners of your mind.

The lyrics on the album are dark. The starting lines of the record when Ben Gibbard is singing " So this is the new year and I don't feel any different". You immediately understand where Mr. Gibbard wants you to go with him. The disappointing realization of loving a woman you do not have feelings for (Tiny Vessels), to the painful ending of wanting to make that one last call but realizing it is too late ( A Lack of Color), makes you feel the pain that Gibbard is feeling.

The melodies on the record are soothing and the masterful playing of Gibbard, Walla, Harmer and McGerr makes you understand that they are professional in what they are doing. You can hear the real connection with the players in songs like We Looked Like Giants and Death of an Interior Decorator.

Transatlanticism is one of the records that you must listen many times to find all its best sides. The first listens leave you a little, but the more you get to the meanings in the songs and melodies you start to understand the band more. The painful loop in Transatlanticism and the disappointing sound of Gibbard in the last verse, makes you want to listen to the record once again and dive in to the dark.

5/5

Niklas Aaltio

Spotify: Death Cab for Cutie – Transatlanticism
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deathcabforcutie?fref=ts

Kaikki samaa lauluu toistaa...

Artist: Kotiteollisuus
Album: Maailmanloppu
Release: 05.07.2013
Label: Megamania
Tracklist:
1. Maailmanloppu 
2. Musta kuu 
3. Silmä silmästä, hammas hampaasta 
4. Yötä vasten 
5. Hyvien puolella 
6. Tuhat kuolemaa 
7. Outoja aikoja 
                                                                        8. Mennyttä miestä 
                                                                        9. Kepeitä multia 
                                                                        10. Tuhon enteet 

I have to be honest. The last record I listened from Kotiteollisuus in full was their album "Ukonhauta". Some of the old records like "Iankaikkinen" and "Kuolleen Kukan Nimi" and " Helvetistä Itään" have played in my stereo for a few times. In a way I have this hate/love situation with Kotiteollisuus. So I thought this might be a good chance to see what the new record is all about. 

Jouni Hynynen is a good writer. The self-loathing and ironic lyrics of Hynynen have always been really funny to read and listen to. The theme of the album is the worlds end and many of the songs on the record roll around the topic. A lot of the songs tell about a place where people travel to that is the said to be Paradise. The lyrics on the album are classical Hynynen so to speak.

But the main concentration on the album is the playing itself. In this record Kotiteollisuus have taken a leap towards a more radio friendly, slightly poppy music. Catchy hooks have always been the cornerstone of Kotiteollisuus but now they really are trying their best. There is no arguing that some influences on the record have been taken from the american genre of the music.  The album has really been recorded to sound good for everyone. Janne Hongisto and Jari Sinkkonen play like never before on the album and are not letting themselves to be in the shadow of Jouni Hynynen. 

The band plays really good together and the sounds are thought carefully. On "Maailmanloppu" almost every chorus is a catchy one. The anthemic choruses of the title track and "Yötä Vasten"  or the group choruses on songs like "Musta Kuu" and "Outoja Aikoja" leave in your ear like a ear worm. Hynynen has always made good choruses you cannot argue with that. Listen to "Helvetistä Itään" you will understand. 

The record has its moments. The catchy "Maailmanloppu" and the bursting " Musta Kuu" are songs that every fan likes in the first listen on the album. But the cornerstone must be in the middle when "Yötä Vasten" starts to play. The verse on the song makes you think about Rammsteinn and even Killing Joke slightly. The rest of the album goes by really fast without you even noticing it. The last energy the band drives to the mix are in the ninth song "Kepeitä Multia" with its grinding chorus and hard rocking riffs and the clever ending song " Tuhon Enteet" that changes in the last two minutes radically. 

"Maailmanloppu" is a decent album from the band. It has its moments but most of the songs go past you without you even noticing. It is a record you can listen to when you are driving or sitting with your friends. The playing on the album is top notch and the lyrics are good, but something is missing from the mix. The album leaves you thinking the future of the band. To say the most now they are in solid ground. 

3/5 

Niklas Aaltio

Spotify: Kotiteollisuus – Maailmanloppu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kotiteollisuus?fref=ts
Yötä Vasten: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPVzrl3kxy0

Done saying, I'm done playing...

Artist: Drake
Album: Nothing Was The Same
Release date: 20.09.2013
Label: OVO Sound, Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records
Tracklist:
01. Tuscan Leather
02. Furthest Thing
03. Started From The Bottom
04. Wu-Tang Forever
05. Own It
06. Worst Behavior
07. From Time (Featuring Jhene Aiko)
                                                                        08. Hold On, We’re Going Home
                                                                        09. Connect
                                                                        10. The Language
                                                                        11. 305 To My City (Featuring Detail)
                                                                        12. Too Much
                                                                        13. Pound Cake (Featuring Jay Z) / Paris Morton Music2

Drake. A rapper and an actor. Some people know him from the American hit series Degrassi: Next Generation where he acted the character Jimmy Brooks. After his acting career he started making music. The mix of R'n'B and hip hop music was a nice edge to the rap scene at the time. He also popularized the use of the term "YOLO".

His debut album Thank Me Later got a great response from critics and society. Some reviewers compared the album to Kanye Wests 808s and Heartbreak because of the melancholic and dark sounds. Songs like "Over" and "Find Your Love"where instant classics.

Take Care the second album from Drake was a classic at birth. The change from the first album came really easily and the album got the respect it deserved. The lyrics were more about the failed romances of Drakes life and about the growing wealth on his life. Best examples where songs like "Marvins Room" and "Take Care".

And now we are at this point. Album number three "Nothing Was The Same". Many fans were really concerned when the first single from the album came out. The straight forward style of the song was very different from the other two albums. People were talking about the end of Drake. But boy how wrong people were.

From the starting sample of Tuscan Leather you can hear that there has been a lot of effort in making this record. The first rhymes Drake spits talks about the situation of "Take Care" selling 20 million dollars. He knows he can do it and is not going to lose the fight.

The sounds on the album go vastly from the straight forward hip hop beats to a night club dance/electro style songs. Songs like "Started From The Bottom" which tells about how Drake has fought his way through and is on the top now. The single "Hold On We're Going Home" has the nice R'n'B touch that I especially love about Drake. The man can sing and rap. A genius! But for me the song " Too Much" is a cornerstone on the record. With its beautiful lead piano and Drake bursting the story about losing his family over money.

The songs have really nice hooks and backgrounds that make you listen carefully also to the sounds the album has. Drakes bursts of truth gives a life to the music that no one else can do. The feelings are raw and on the edge just like on his last record Take Care.

Nothing Was The Same is a nice record to continue the growth of Drakes popularity and to show what he can do when he writes music. The only problem the record has is the same that many other rappers also have. There are too many songs on the album, so sometimes it feels a little too much of Drake for a moment.

NWTS is a hate mail to all the haters. Many rappers have dissed him for a few years and now it is his time to get the knock out. And he does it.

4/5

Spotify: Drake – Nothing Was The Same
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Drake?fref=ts
Drake the type...(Tumblr): http://drakethetype.tumblr.com

I'll be a thorn in your side

Artist: Chvrches

Album: The Bones Of What You Believe

Release date: 20.09.2013

Label: Virgin and Goodbye Records

Tracklist:

1 The Mother We Share 

2 We Sink

 3 Gun 

4 Tether 

5 Lies 

6 Under the Tide 

7 Recover

                                                                        8 Night Sky 

                                                                        9 Science/Visions 

                                                                        10 Lungs 

                                                                        11 By the Throat 

                                                                        12 You Caught the Light

Chvrches has been on the tongue of many medias around the world. Their debut album The Bones Of What You Believe has been acknowledged by the society and gotten critical acclaim around the world. There is no mistake that the trios debut is a fine crafted and detailed product that gives the band a good starting point to a great career. 

The sounds on this album are top notch. Every song has been masterfully designed and made to capture the listener in every way possible. Everytime you listen to the album again you find some new sides on the songs that you have never heard before. The co-operation of Iain Cook and Martin Doherty in the synthesizers and vocals are the cornerstone to the songs and the fragile but strong vocals of Lauren Mayberry takes the music to another level. 

Many songs on the album tell about running away and not facing your responsibilities. These captivating lyrics on some songs make you feel if Lauren Mayberry has a grudge for someone. The creepily fragile lyrics of catching the person you are after and tearing him down (Gun) or the heartbreaking feeling of holding on (Under The Tide) gives the slightly melancholic electronic sounds a really cool vibe. 

Lauren Mayberrys singing takes a big role on the album and as the main character on the trio, but Mr. Cook and Mr. Doherty are not giving up playing the aggressive but beautiful backgrounds on the songs.  On two songs Mayberry slides to the side and Martin Doherty takes the lead to sing the vocals. This gives a nice variety to the album and shows that the trio has though carefully the songs structures. 

The Bones Of What You Believe has combined everything you want from a electronic band. The vast samples and captivating singing of Lauren Mayberry keeps the listener hooked until the end of the record. And the capturing choruses of the songs will stay in your head like a thorn in your side.

4/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mTRvJ9fugM

Recommended for people who like: M83, Kemopetrol, 

Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/3Vid4I2pEkZT6AGUZjAIiY

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CHVRCHES?fref=ts

Some songs are good for driving, some songs are made for dying...

Artist: Antero Lindgren
Album: Talking With The Dead
Release date: 03.05.2013
Label: Eino Records
Tracklist:
1. Bells of Liberty
2. Last Summer
3. Highway Hallelujah
4. It Felt Like Life
5. Line of Fathers
6. I’m Ready
7. Small Town Boys
                                                                        8. Sleep Like a Child
                                                                        9. Talking with the Dead


It is the middle of summer. I walk in the street on a warm sunny sunday. The last song from Antero Lindgrens album Talking With The Dead is playing in my headphones. As I walk and people walk by I hear Antero singing about how easy it would be to just talk to people who are dead. Children skate by me and smile to each other. The last 2 minutes of the song starts and the soaring harmonica plays on top of the brilliant band of Mr. Lindgren. The wind blows to my face and I close my eyes and let the music take me away. As the song ends I look at the sky and smile a little. I take my player and start the record again.

 Antero Lindgren is the artist that has been recalled as the next huge thing when his debut album Mother came out. The dark folk/blues songs of the album where perfect for the cold autumn nights and mornings. The personal lyrics gave the fragile and honest look in the life of a normal father of two and a loving husband.

 On his new album Talking With The Dead Antero was in a merge of not knowing what to write about. He had to think about moments in the future where there would be nothing. This gave the concept for the album. The stories of losing something you try to hold on.

While Mother was more about Anteros voice, Talking With The Dead gives attention to the band behind Mr. Lindgren also. The connection with every player on the album is warm and soothing. It is very nice to listen to a band that seems to like to play alongside each other.

Mother was the fall album of the year. Talking With The Dead is definitely the positive brother of the record. There is no mistake when people are talking that Antero Lindgren is the Bruce Springsteen of Finland. These songs of heartbreak and driving to the sunset (Highway Hallelujah) and the memories from past sitting at the slope passing the stairs (Felt Like Life) are the songs which makes you believe that the songs mean something very important to the artist.

For me this record gave hope in Finnish songwriting and that is why I thank Lindgren for the songs he has composed with hard work. He has done a masterpiece that can only make people want more and more from his music.

4,5/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ephylj5D4iY


Niklas Aaltio/Scratching the Surface