Stab!
(VÅRØ/Kanine)
Sweden’s
Agent blå blend
a unique brand of post-punk. Their sound reminds me of those early 80s pioneering post-punk
artists in spirit, yet with their own take. It’s
a difficult sound to pin down, but I sure love trying as I’ve been playing
their third LP, Stab!, a ton since
its release back in April – nearly five full years after their second full
length back in 2019. Emelie Alatalo’s versatile and
mysterious vocals are once again rich and endlessly intriguing – landing
somewhere between Isabel Monteiro (Drugstore) and the legendary Siouxsie Sioux and I have been trying
to come up with a way to describe this album in order to find a way to express
my enthusiasm and do it any kind of justice.
From
the brief opening self-titled instrumental that merges into the beautifully
meandering “Ebb and Flow,” one thing is clear the band has been honing their
craft. The rhythm section has retained
their special connection by coming up with tension building push and pull
arrangements that definitely ebb and flow, but now there’s a lot of stellar
piano melodies guiding these songs in a similar way as the early Tears for Fears albums.
Normally
I am allergic to using very specific genre categorizations of bands, because of
artists like this. They are conjuring up
something that feels different to me.
Unique. “The Fascination of
Self-Sabotage” lifts off with soaring guitars like an early 80s UK post-punk
band, while “Mind Mapping” gives off a Goth vibe with its vague lyrics alluding
to some kind of separation and its resulting consequences. Whatever the case, it’s my favorite on an
album that continues to impress and grow on me.
So much to love here. The propulsive drive and whirlee keyboard
sound of “Discount” acts as a straight-forward tune with a very ghostly
atmosphere, while “Whatever You Want” might be their poppiest song to date as
it tries to work out intimate communication details over a buoyant beat.
As
I imagined, I’m failing to do a workable job at conveying the power of this
album. It is all too brief, it’s well
crafted, and dare I say underrated?
These are the kind of songs that have always fed my soul. The kind of songs that guide one through
rainy days that exacerbate troubling times, yet offer understanding. The words are supportive and the music
comforting by way of that understanding.
Instead of continuing to ramble on aimlessly, I will be direct. I highly recommend Stab! Allow it a chance to work its magic.
(https://agentblasweden.bandcamp.com/album/stab)
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