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Track Listings
| 1. On the Radio |
| 2. Sunbeams |
| 3. Change in the Weather |
| 4. Chosen One |
| 5. Your Call |
| 6. Fiction |
| 7. Tomorrow |
| 8. As Four |
| 9. Grey Days |
| 10. Way of Life |
| 11. Ooh La La |
| 12. Song for the Songs |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Following on from a long tradition of melodic Scandinavian pop, Swedish 8-piece The Concretes return with a follow-up to their sparkling (if little-purchased) eponymous debut LP. Far from a major change in musical direction, In Colour is nevertheless a measured step forwards, both sonically - with all eight members contributing to a rich aural tapestry - and musically, with drummer Lisa Milberg contributing on a number of tracks.
Like the bastard offspring of The Cardigans and Abba, The Concretes tread a fine line between heartwarming and twee, with the latter hijacking only a couple of tracks towards the end of the album - the over-enthusiatic fiddle playing and harmonies on Ooh La La and Song For The Songs getting the better of their somewhat frail tunes.
Elsewhere on the album, all is sunny harmonies and glorious feel-good pop music: opener, On The Radio, plays like some long-lost Motown classic - driven along by a stomping piano riff, beautifully contrasting Victoria Bergsman's wistfully fragile vocals. The aptly named Sunbeams is a perfect summer anthem with more than a hint of The Mamas And The Papas, and lead single Chosen One is a fine stab at perfect pop with a tune that will bounce around your head for days.
An early contender for Album of the Year that deserves to be hugely successful but which will more than likely end up as another lost classic... save The Concretes from this fate, and add some Colour to your life.
Like the bastard offspring of The Cardigans and Abba, The Concretes tread a fine line between heartwarming and twee, with the latter hijacking only a couple of tracks towards the end of the album - the over-enthusiatic fiddle playing and harmonies on Ooh La La and Song For The Songs getting the better of their somewhat frail tunes.
Elsewhere on the album, all is sunny harmonies and glorious feel-good pop music: opener, On The Radio, plays like some long-lost Motown classic - driven along by a stomping piano riff, beautifully contrasting Victoria Bergsman's wistfully fragile vocals. The aptly named Sunbeams is a perfect summer anthem with more than a hint of The Mamas And The Papas, and lead single Chosen One is a fine stab at perfect pop with a tune that will bounce around your head for days.
An early contender for Album of the Year that deserves to be hugely successful but which will more than likely end up as another lost classic... save The Concretes from this fate, and add some Colour to your life.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If by any chance you are a shy indie type who likes a bit of twee but have somehow managed not to hear the concretes yet then please buy this now ( what! you're still reading,need some persuading eh?) as it was made for you. If however you ain't quite of this type and have some how still ended up hear then please try something different and you won't be regret it.
As everybody knows sweden is the home of all things great and indie so the fact that the concretes stand out tells you all you need to know about how fantastic they are. The lyrics tend to deal with the problems of being lonely and unloved ,themes which run through most scandinavian music and art, yet are never self-pitying unlike when the english do it(james blunt anyone,thought not). The music however tends to be joyous and there are numerous examples of how these two seemingly confrontational aspects work together to create the greatest synthesis since hegel invent the concept ,a little marxist reference for you there, with grey days being my favourite.
Refernce points are kind of hard to come up with for this superbt band but there are of the same spiritual and ocassionaly musical mould as belle and sebastian.
As everybody knows sweden is the home of all things great and indie so the fact that the concretes stand out tells you all you need to know about how fantastic they are. The lyrics tend to deal with the problems of being lonely and unloved ,themes which run through most scandinavian music and art, yet are never self-pitying unlike when the english do it(james blunt anyone,thought not). The music however tends to be joyous and there are numerous examples of how these two seemingly confrontational aspects work together to create the greatest synthesis since hegel invent the concept ,a little marxist reference for you there, with grey days being my favourite.
Refernce points are kind of hard to come up with for this superbt band but there are of the same spiritual and ocassionaly musical mould as belle and sebastian.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
An album for people who find Belle & Sebastian a bit boisterous, 'The Concretes In Colour' is an unashamed bid for the mainstream: nothing wrong with that of course, but it lacks the shaky charm and melancholy mood of their eponymous debut album. There's nothing here as spritely as 'You Can't Hurry Love' or as poignant as 'New Friend' on that first record. In fact, it all feels terribly English in spirit - polite, reserved, self-effacing.
That said, 'In Colour' does have its moments. Opener 'On The Radio' rides on a plinky-plonky Madness piano very effectively. 'Chosen One' is a jaunty pop song, perfect for summer.
Lisa Mellberg takes over vocal duties for a duet with Romeo Stodart from The Magic Numbers on the ballad ,'Your Call.' Her voice is stronger and more expressive than the blank Nicoesque stylings of usual lead vocalist, Victoria Bergsman: she should sing more often.
Elswehere, we find a Gospel 'church revival' sound on 'As Four' and some classy country pickings on 'Grey Days.' Too much of the rest, though, is merely pleasant or, worse still, innocuous.
That The Concretes have talent is beyond doubt. I just wish they had the confidence to swagger a bit more.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
fantabulous
worth buying for "fiction" alone. some great tracks on this album. another great find for my collection
Published on 18 Sep 2009 by D. Lomas
Summer has come.........
There is so much joy in this album , sumptuos melodies and swooning summery ice cream laiden lyrics, bolstered by truly fabolous vocals which have a majestic childlike innocent... Read more
Published on 3 Jun 2006 by Robert Stephenson
The Concrete is fully set....
Bought on strength of review suggesting '1st post-Magic Numbers' album. Being total fan of latter, purchased unseen/unheard and am NOT disappointed. Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2006 by J. Gordon
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