CD Reviews

Korallreven | An Album By Korallreven

Acephale (2011)

By MICHAEL C. WALSH | November 9, 2011

3.0 Stars

Think of the happiest sound you've heard in your life. Maybe it's waves crashing on a serene shoreline, or the delicate rattle of wind chimes. Regardless, there's a solid chance its sonic marker appears on this debut LP from Swedish pop duo Korallreven. Both of the aforementioned textures make numerous cameos here, and from the jump it's obvious what we're getting into: opener and clear standout "As Young As Yesterday" lays the groundwork, with its open-chord acoustic strumming and pitched-up vocals chanting "ecstasy," wholly indicative of an album that is the most bizarrely twee listening experience you've had in some time. It's not merely geographic proximity that aligns them with country-mates the Tough Alliance — both possess an eerily similar Balearic styling. But while TTA are very much tethered to the dance floor with bombastic beats, Korallreven exist in a world above that one. Their stuttering, airy synths would serve as an appropriate soundtrack to a nightclub in Heaven. Unfortunately, the breezy atmospherics also lend themselves to meandering. As a concentrated listening experience, it grows tiring; but there's a feeling that their intent wasn't for the album to be ingested via an introverted headphone session. They want you to have fun while listening, and honestly, it's impossible not to.

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