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Elly Roberts reviews
Fortuna Pop
- January 2008
- Rating: 10/10
Summer album, in winter. Yes, really.
It was bound to happen, and it has, on this gorgeous offering from Swedish duoClub 8, on their sixth album.
Theyve been knocking around for some 13 years now, experimenting with all mannerof styles: bossa nova, triphop, dance, indie rock and chillout.
For The Boy Who Couldnt Stop Dreaming theyve reverted to the latter,apparently their forte.
Karolina Komstedt (vocals) and Johan Angergard (all instruments) this time go all out with some pretty impressive cool and melodic ditties, ranging from classy60s pop ballads (In The Morning/Where Birds Dont Fly) that draw on thegentler side hippydom, to the more upbeat slices of pop. Karolinas hushed andseductive singing (you know the way French singers do it) makes it sound almostlike sex in the studio.
Above all, these songs are meant for listening, and enjoying, as theyre some ofthe most tender youre ever going to hear. Its not all mellow though, becausethey can switch code and belt out a good dance tune too, such as Heavenand Madonna-like Whatever You Want (her Holiday comes to mind).
Piano-heavy Leave The North is a standout track because of Karolinasghosting and haunting larynx weaving and floating around the keys and strings,but the jewel in the crown has to be the stunning ballad Hopes And Dreams.
File under: Yummy.
Weblinks:club-8.org /myspace.com/club8
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Jesus, Walk With Me
2. Whatever You Want
3. Football Kids
4. Hopes And Dreams
5. Everything Goes
6. Heaven
7. When I Come Around
8. Leave The North
9. In The Morning
10. Sometimes
11. Where Birds Dont Fly
12. The Boy Who Couldnt Stop Dreaming
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.