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"Bombay Dreams" Soundtrack
Musikaliskt drar skivan
ofta åt dans-etno med såväl titelspårets bahngrapop med Aneela och Rebecca,
samt Arash gigantiska debutsingel "Boro Boro". Dessutom finns en ny stark
soulpopig låt med Pauline, "Not An Uptown Woman", och framför allt för mig
svenska doldisarna Pastes "Love You A Lot" med änglakörer à la "I'm Not In
Love".
LA
Eget, innovativt, och framförallt låter det läckert
Blir lite överraskad över inledningen på Passion (I love you), första spåret på skivan.
Ett nintendoinspirerat trumljud tillsammans med en energisk gitarr sätter igång en riktigt go, glad och melodisk popstänkare. Eget, innovativt, och framförallt låter det läckert. Jag faller direkt och till och med rumskompisen som inte vet vad jag sysslar med säger: ”Spela den där jäveln igen”.
Paste(swe) både blandar och ger på Sequel.
Ett par låtar som direkt fastnar på trumhinnan, och där nacken börjar rycka omedvetet.
Men även något spår som känns lite malplacerat, exempelvis spår 3, ”Stars” som låter lite som en modern jullåt långa stunder.
Det goa, lite svåruttryckta popsoundet som utmärker sig starkast på Passion (I love you), återkommer ofta, men inte lika profilerat och träffsäkert som i förstaspåret.
Sångdriven pop med melodierna som sin främsta styrka.
Tydliga 60-tals influenser är de mest genomgående, men åtminstone inbillningsvis är inte synthen alltför avlägsen. Allt som allt tror jag att Paste(swe) kommer att göra ännu ett steg i karriären med ”Sequel”, som ger ett mycket välpoducerat och habilt intryck.
Axel Elmelid
www.muzic.se
Paste(Swe)
Sequel (Dead Frog Records),
Sweden's got a fantastic reputation for power pop, and a number of top bands. One of them is Paste(Swe), and their latest album is Sequel (Dead Frog Records), a Posies, Hollies, early Byrds-inspired collection of marvelous jangly tunes. I've got a theory about Swedes and pop music, and it's to do with the long days of summer and endless winter nights - the former provides a double dose of inspiration, a chance to take in those extra warm vibes and wallow in the sunshine. The latter affords plenty of time to immerse themselves in rehearsal rooms and recording studios to perfect those George Harrison licks, and delicious vocal harmonies. Well, however they're doing it, they're doing it right. Sequel is jam-packed with literate songs, great vocal harmonies from core duo Mikael Frithiof and Thomas Johansson, and hooks big enough to put the frighteners on Moby Dick. My one concern is that occasionally, on their more keyboard / synth inspired tracks - "Hello!" instantly springs to mind - the first band that I think of is A-ha. It's probably just me and I'm getting over it, I'm sure others will, too.
/Rob Forbes
www.nighttimes.com
Popbang radio
Paste(swe) "Sequel"
One of Sweden's best kept secrets, Paste returns with an outstanding collection of sweet pop! İFans of The Merrymakers and Jellyfish already know how good this band is, and if you haven't checked them our for yourself, put it on the top of your priority list. İ
Catchy hooks and harmonies galore, Paste deserves a ton of volume and attention worldwide. Really awesome stuff!
JAM Recordings
Paste"Sequel"
Paste is becoming fast one of the BEST Swedish power pop bands of today. Their
new cd SEQUEL has just been released and is their best yet! Fans of
Merrymakers, Beatles, Cranbury Sauce, Pearlfishers, Brainpool, and the entire
Swedish pop scene will dig the cool and sublime sounds of this fabulous pop
band! Grade A and one of the TOP cds for 2004! Pick this up along with their
other great cd "Superpop"
NotLame
Paste"Sequel"
(Deadfrogrecords)
From Sweden, Paste have released the great album that fans of the band knew was
in them. At times, this has the classic Swedish Pop sound (Eggstone, The
Merrymakers, Beagle) but they blend that solid-base with more modern touches
that we see acts like The Wondermints, The Pooh Sticks and Tears For Fears.
Glorious and undeniably a-must for fans of classic, vocal driven power pop. All
this with vocal harmonies from Mikael Frithiof and Thomas Johansson that bring
the asssured and incredibly strong Hollies-inspired blending that Ken
Stringfellow and Jon Auer do so beautifully with The Posies. Wickedly catchy
tunes and excellent vocals and songs that are powerful, but not over-bearing as
they force their case to rise above beingjust another pop band, which they are
not. Listen to the cheery sound clips that deck themselves out with their
bouncy, cheery brand of AM-hooks. "Contains everything we`ve come to love about
that Swedish sound, including sparkling melodies, neuron popping chord changes
and choruses to die for."-Amplifier. Grade: Solid, bold "A" all the way.
Fulfilling the promise of their 2001 debut, their brand new 10 song effort is a wonderful, jangly/ringing guitar-filled (with tasteful keyboards/strings) masterpiece that places them squarely amongst todays elite European power pop bands! Top-notch songs, top-notch playing, singing and production make this one a worthy "Best Of 2004" nominee! Can't say enough about this one!
KoolKatMusik
Paste passion för poppraliner!
++++
Paste"Sequel"
(Dead Frog Records)
P som i pop, P som i Paste.
Vi skriver 2004 , men när Halmstadduon Thomas Johansson och Mikael Frithiof följer upp "Superpop" med "Sequel" så andas vi 60-tal, drömmer vi 60-tal, äter vi 60-tal, jag höll nästan på att skriva skiter vi 60-tal också.
Och jag älskar att frossa i det.
För detta är ett 38 minuters koncentrat av poppraliner, klibbiga bubbelgumrefränger, snygga körer och harmonier med 60-talets musikaliska förtecken skickligt förpackade i 2004 års fodral.
Jag utdelade för några dagar sedan samma (höga) betyg till Terror Popmed helt andra förtecken och rockattribut. Det kan kanske förefalla att vara lite väl lokalpatriotisk- heja Halmstad och så...Men so what - det är ändå lika förbannat välförtjänt.
För grunden är densamma. Respekten och kärleken och passionen till sina rötter, i det här fallet 60-talets poppastischer.
Jag smälter totalt för öppningen, "Passion(I love you)" med en fantastisk refräng och en genial liten gitarrfigur som spetsar anrättningen. Sedan är resan igång.
Vi passerar Kalifornien och Beach Boyssurfpop i "Hard to be in love", hälsra på hos både Beatles och Byrds i "Stars", "If you want me" och den kristallklart klingande lilla popballaden "Love you a lot" innan vi når en av plattans absoluta refränghöjdpunkter i den lekfullt fräcka "Everybody Knows". Och så fortsätter det över de tio spåren. De enda anmärkningarna i marginalenskulle väl vara den lite väl överambitiösa "All for you" lite anonyma "Hold on tight" och emellanåt bristen på dynamik. Tyngre än "Hello!" med ett stänk av Depeche Mode svärta och lättviktshybriden av ZZ-Top och Status Quo i "Wannabe" blir det liksom inte. Fast det visste vi å andra sidan om från början.
Så nu kräver vi bara en livespelninghemma i Halmstad i sommar. Man ska inte behöva åka till The Cavern i Liverpool för att få uppleva det , Thomas och Mikael!
Jan-Owe Wikström
Hallandsposten
040604
www.southofmainstream.com
In my mind, Superpop (as it pertains to musical genres ) is more or less an
oxymoron, but actually a cool title for an album. To describe this work, let
me create a scenario. Let's say it's 1966 and I'm really a number of years
older than I am in real life. To celebrate my 15th birthday, my parents give me $2.99 to buy an LP album of my choice at E.J. Korvettes. I've been
hearing this song "Stop!" by a group Paste who got in on the tail-end of the British Invasion on WABC_AM top 40 radio .
The song really rocks and this
album will drive my parents crazy. When I get home with Paste's Superpop
album, my mom asks to hear it. I put it on and guess what? My mom loves
it, and so do I. Therefore, if Paste was really around in 1966, we could have
avoided the whole generation gap of the '60's and probably, but unfortunately, the hippies.
However, Paste's Superpop was not released until 2001, so the hippies are still safe. This album exhibited quite a variety of 1960's British pop styles, all done masterfully, without the use of much technology, which of course didn't exist in 1966. Fans of such groups as Gerry and the Pacemakers, Dave Clark Five, Manfred Mann and yes, the pre-Revolver Beatles, should soon becomes fans of Paste.
There is nothing profound or deep on this album, but that's OK. It's an eleven song offering of feel good British retro, which can make the sun shine even for the most serious of listeners.
reviewed by levavaran
www.referendarecords.com
Paste (SWE) are quite simply pure pop heaven! This Swedish duo (Thomas
Johansson and Mikael Frithiof) have crafted a distinctive pop sound
which all fans of the pop genre will find simply irresistible. They
have a fantastic ability to shift from obvious chart worthy material
one minute (such as "Smile", "Randy's Coolbag"
and "Believe") to a deeper level of songwriting ("Whatever
Happens", "Suppose" and "Easy") the next
without ever moving away from what makes pure pop so special to
so many people. Paste (SWE) have taken influences from the best
of pop's glorious history, mixed it up, added a few special ingredients
and cooked up a real treat for everyone.
www.splendidezine.com
For some reason, Swedish pop seems to shout "good times!"
more than most other varieties of pop. As the liner-notes for Superpop
show, the two guys who make up Paste might not be as photogenic
as Roxette, but dammit, they're twice as much fun to listen to.
And there's not a "It Must Have Been Love" in the bunch,
making it even more worth your time.
Superpop is an album that couldn't have been
made without years of intensive Beatles listening. The stock tricks
are there: descending basslines, oohs and aahs -- in fact, everything
undefineable that makes you think "Hm -- that sounds like the
Beatles!" is here, but like Oasis before them (when they were
good, that is), Paste are clever enough only to borrow sparingly
and not plunder wholesale. They're maddeningly reminiscent of tunes
you've heard before, but not enough to warrant accusations of plagiarism.
Pop requires a sure touch, and these guys have it. But what of the
songs? Standard airy/happy tunes all, save the requisite tune-o'-doom,
"I'm Losing You". There's buzzsawing guitar ("Smile"),
bleepalicious basslines ("Stop!"), stressed wah ("Monterey")
and undersea vibrato ("Whatever Happens") -- enough variations
on the standard requirements of pop to leave the album dull-patch-free.
Thankfully, the production is of a similarly
high standard -- indeed, the disc could be a major-label release,
given the ease with which it flows from the stereo. The vocals on
Superpop are assured and strong. Strangely, they seem split between
Beatles-style harmonies ("I Loose Myself" (sic) is particularly
reliant on the almost-straining higher end of the Fabs' oeuvre)
and the spoken-word stylings of They Might Be Giants. This duality
is odd, initially, but it's important overall, because it distinguishes
the band from so many others pushing the Lennon/McCartney homage
wheelbarrow. It's refreshingly unpredictable. Calling an album Superpop
might be a bit risky for lesser lights, but in the case of the confection
that is Paste, it's nothing but a statement of fact -- nothing more,
nothing less.
Luke Martin
www.propeller.musiclink.se
Paste(swe) bildades 1995 och består av två killar från
Halmstad. Superpop är bandets första fullängdare
och det är en imponerande sådan. Det här är
en demo som innehåller allt: bra sång, bra låtar,
starka melodier, musikalisk bredd och sammantaget en jäkligt
bra produktion. Bland de totalt 11 spåren kan jag inte finna
en enda låt som jag inte gillar. Paste(swe) beskriver själva
sin musik som "melodisk och välproducerad popmusik i rakt
nedstigande led från The Beatles" och den beskrivningen
gör sig rättvisa, även om man rent musikaliskt finner
betydligt modernare tongångar i den rockiga Stop! och det
synthiga sistaspåret Easy.
Paste(swe) musik är ovanligt rak och
okomplicerad, samt att Mikael Frithiof och Thomas Johansson som
utgör bandet verkligen kan konsten att skapa starka melodier
och refränger. Bland mina absoluta favoriter på skivan
återfinns de popiga Smile och Monterey, men den låt
som fastnat mest är den vackra hjärtskärande balladen
I´m losing you. En del kanske skulle säga att vissa av
skivans 11 spår har en alltför lättsam touch över
sig men genom Superpop uppvisar Paste(swe) en imponerande musikalisk
bredd. Högsta betyg är vad detta förtjänar -
ge killarna ett skivkontrakt!
Nicklas Örnros
www.deadfrogrecords.com
Paste know their Beatles. The unmistakenable 60's flavour can't
pass unheard. I downloaded 3 songs and started to listen to Suppose
which sounds a lot like The Kinks – whistling hook and close
harmony vocals. The other two songs, Smile and Monterey, have the
same sound and I can hear a special Paste sound in there. The sound
is similar to Paul McCartney's later works actually, but with low-fi
sounding instruments. Paste could be a Y2K reincarnation of any
60's boyband! Well produced and arranged. They also have the skills
to put some odd chords in the right place. I like! This duo (!)
is powerful and I wouldn't be surprised if they, with the proper
backup, would make it to the charts. Fave song so far is Monterey!
Fredrik, 29 August 2001
www.deadfrogrecords.com
I wrote a review of a song from this band only six months ago. Thereafter
I received the whole CD. I’ve got to say this is nothing but
simple and straightforward pop. Well played, but since Paste (swe)
consists of only two persons I wonder what the live situation would
be like? I can hear some Beatles in their music. This whole album
is good, but on a few occasions it’s running on low steam.
There are several ’hit potentials’ that might be played
on radio, but to get an extensive rotation, they need stronger material.
Maybe also more energy in their music - not so fluffy. Paste (swe)
haven’t long to go. A band that reminded me of this is good
old Saft, with the difference that Paste (swe) sing in English.
One track on this CD I adore, is Stop. It’s also my favourite.
All the songs are like cuddly pop toys. The sleeve picture, which
was taken by Bingo Rimér, is full of cuddly toys. A perfect
description of what this CD is all about. Good thought!
Peter Å, 19 December 2001
www.amplifiermagazine.com
Swedish pop is back with style and grace, as the CD by this duo
from Halmstad contains everything we've come to love about that
Swedish sound, including sparkling melodies, neuron popping chord
changes and choruses to die for. The production on Superpop is also
top notch, as the songs have a lot of "space", making
them very easy on the ears. Fans of Beagle, The Girls, and The Merrymakers
will love tunes like "Believe," the bouncy, McCartney-esque
"Suppose" and the ultra-catchy "What's The Matter?".
Paste reaches back into the '80s with "Stop!" and "Easy,"
which gently reels you in but then surreptitiously stings you. Perhaps
the duo's greatest gift is their ability to create novel transitions
between verse and chorus, as they do on "I Loose Myself"
(sic), "Monterey," and the best track on the disc, "Smile".
Paste is indeed super pop!
David Bash
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