Current Music Fixation: Days

Once again the Swedes have done it again!

From the first note of the debut EP “Downhill” from Gothenburg, Sweden quartet “Days,” it’s quite obvious that you have stumbled upon almost picture perfect indie pop. Like fellow Swedes “Peter Bjorn and John”, Days seems to have found the answer to perfecting poppy disarming hooks without sounding convoluted and bogged down by over production. Released on Portland/San Francisco based label “Shelflife Records”, this 5 song EP successfully delivers track after track of feel good pop music reminiscent of Demarks “Northern Portrait” and Indie Pop Alumni “The Go-Betweens.” I understand it’s a lofty statement to compare anyone to The Go-Betweens but it’s just that good.

Opening track “Never Came to Last” immediately sets the standard of what to expect. As the distant guitar fades in, it gives you that sense of genuine warmness that you so often look for in music but rarely find. Even though the first line of the song “I keep my dancing away out of site” in all its loneliness and lowliness sounds like something you would hear Morrissey deliver, it does nothing to unhinge the sudden urge to smile to yourself. Track one can easily cast the feeling of it being the strongest track of the five almost from the get go. That is, until track two “Simple Thing” starts in with its “Doolittle” era Pixies base line. The marriage between the simplified rhythm section and the shimmering clean guitars is almost flawless. Add the innocent pitch of vocalist/guitarist Fabian Sahlqvist and you can’t escape feeling as though these three Swedes were destined to make music and more importantly make all of our lives just that little bit better.

The rest of the EP (although not as strong as the first two tracks) effortlessly achieves all of the staple qualities and subtle nuances you wish you heard more of in today’s Indie music scene. In an ideal world this would be the case. However, if everyone was doing it the right way the first time around, Discs like this would lose its uniqueness and the ability to stand out as the brilliant piece of work it is.

Another triumphant gem Murph.