New albums by bands you've never heard of are a crapshoot. You have no idea what to expect. You could be discovering a great new band with a truly original sound. You could be wasting your time. There is no problem writing about the first kind of album; praise comes easily. There is no problem writing about the second; nothing is more fun than bitchy criticism.
All that said, along comes an album like Down to Earth from a Swedish pop rock trio which goes by the name Slim Loris that just doesn't fit into either category. The album is quite nicely done. There is nothing to dislike intensely, but there is nothing about it that is especially exciting. It has a familiar retro sound that seems to go back half a century.
There is little that is surprising or innovative in what the band is doing. The 12 tracks on the album are the work of Mattias Cederstam, the band's capable vocalist who also plays bass, guitar, piano and organ and guitarist Robert Barrefelt. Lyrics are by Cederstam. One track adds drummer Leon Lindstöm to the credits.
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The band's website describes their songs as "a mix of traditional and modern styles that creates a pattern of unadulterated indie music." "Slim Loris," it goes on, "create beautiful, melodic songs with emotional vocals." This is exactly accurate, except maybe for the "modern styles." The music is indeed melodic and often beautiful; the vocals are emotional. There is a good bit of angst on display. Cederstam, like the poet, manages to find the "sovereign shrine" of melancholy in the "very temple of delight." There are times when his lyrics seem a bit clunky, a syllable off here, a phrase off there, but for the most part they work well enough. The music, on the other hand, can be infectious. The more you listen, the more it echoes in your head.
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