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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Unsophisticated But Worthwhile, 1 Jul 2007
Listening to Howl Howl Gaff Gaff, I was almost sure that I was listening to Tim Booth, the former lead singer of James, fronting for this Swedish five-piece. "Howl Howl Gaff Gaff" is the Shout Out Louds' international debut album, but is really a compilation of their earlier material. By the way, "gaff, gaff" is apparently the Russian equivalent of "woof, woof"... In terms of structure, perhaps the songs are chronologically arranged, but the first five of the album are mid-tempo, melancholic arrangements, before giving way then to more pop-sounding up-tempo tracks.
The album opens on an exasperated note, with Olenius wryly complaining on "The Comeback" that:
I'm kind of tired
Cause you wouldn't let me sleep last night.
I'm a reasonable man,
But I can't believe what's on your mind
This track has a good hook, as does "Oh Sweetheart", a song about a guy prepared to continue pursuing a relationship against the advice of his friends.
The album does become much more downbeat then with "A Track and a Train", which is about a lonely person seemingly about to end their life and "Go Sadness", the album's bleakest-sounding song. However, this melancholy is quickly ushered away with the pop tune "Please, Please, Please", with its xylophone-playing and the hope that the girl can be won back, despite a "so-and-so" relationship in the past.
Other tracks to listen out for are "Hurry Up, Lets Go", which sounds like The Strokes on speed and "Seagull", which is a rare demonstration of flute-playing in popular music. At eight-munutes in length, this folky song also proves a very mellow ending to the album.
Shout Out Louds play simple but attractive melodies. There are times when Olenius' voice can become tiresome, but this remains a band whose next full-scale effort remains watching out for.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Influenced by others but not derivitive, 26 Sep 2005
In parts this album steals from The Strokes, there's an intro from The Kings of Leon and there's the cracked voice of Conner Oburst (Bright Eyes). Some odd sounds and even clapping on one of the tracks. Drums feature well on a couple of songs (Arcade Fire influence?). Despite all references to other artists it retains an individuality that makes it a class album. It's easy to get into and there's enough originality to make you want to keep playing it over and over.This is one of 6 CDs bought on the same day and this is the one that gets all the air time.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Killers et al. without any rubbish., 21 Sep 2005
I walked into a record store having already outspent my budget. As I donned the headphones of the sampler CD and was hit by this...
beep, beep, beep, dong! A small samlpe from some classic arcade game (of which the name escapes me) serves as a prelude to some of the best pop rock I have heard in a long time. The Shout Out Louds seem to have got the whole 'making good music' down to a tee. The album is packed with gripping melodies, tastefully complemented by some more subtle touches for those music geeks out there. Beyond this words escape me....
If you like the current pop rock scene such as the killers but want an addition to your CD collection that will make your friends regard you as the beholder of all great things musical - this is the one for you. Give these Scandanavien boys (and girl) a worthy place on your CD rack and let your friends rush out and buy the album whilst you sit smuggly thinking "I got there first".
and if you were wondering... I walked out of the shop knowing my credit rating had just plumpted but knew it was worth it.
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