Release Date: November 13th, 2006
Label: EMI
Amidst the galloping funk of Feed On Me, which opens Melody Club’s third album Scream, frontman Kristofer Östergren speaks for the whole band when he warns “don’t you dare ignore me, we know why you came.” Indeed they do. Melody Club know their fan base: those who like their pop songs crammed so full of hooks that they practically explode. Luckily for all of us, Scream finds the band in better form than ever.
Since Melody Club’s last album (2004’s Face The Music), the band’s former base player Magnus Roos left the group, to be replaced by Niklas Stenemo (brother of the guitar player and former frontman of fellow Swedish band The Mo). Niklas was a smart choice, as he brings a heavy disco-funk element to the songs on Scream. Melody Club have never sounded as full or as utterly irresistible as they do now. Disco-stompers Scream and Fever Fever easily match (and nearly outdo) the Scissor Sisters’ recent offerings, while a trio of anthems-in-waiting (Crash, Last Girl On My Mind, & Evil Thing) trump 99% of the pop released this year without even sounding like they’re trying. Out of all of the songs, lead single Destiny Calling sounds the most like the group’s earlier work, and neatly divides the album halfway through. The group also continues their tradition of playfully experimental pop-ballads, most notably with Sweet Thing. Opening with what sounds like the beep-beep of a hospital’s life-support system and quickly segueing into a dreamy sing-along, it sounds both classic and strangely alien.
There is not a bad song on Scream, and that is an absolute triumph in the pop genre. The album offers just enough growth in Melody Club’s core sound to give the impression that this glossy group isn’t going away anytime soon. This is music to dance to, to sing along with in the car or while you’re working. Big, silly and bright, Scream is one of the best things you’ll hear all year. A
Key Tracks: Crash, Scream, Feed On Me
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