Home From Home

Swedish meatballs or the next Scandinavian sensation? In the wake of ABBA’s classic pop and Ace Of Base’s europop energy comes some harder crispbreads headed by The Hives’ diverting charms and now this hard rockin’ quartet.

Produced by veteran Lou Giordano, Home From Home covers a lot of bases (all ace?) that range from the straight-up attack of ‘Man Or Mouse’ to the powerful proto-punk of ‘Botanic Mistress’, though their attitude and approach may be best summed up by the title of ‘Punk Rock Rebel’.

The intensity and tempo of the songs rarely let up. How they will do in getting their music across to a wider audience depends on a lot of factors, but the success of The Hives will no doubt help, as will the terrace chorus chants on songs like the aforementioned ‘Botanic Mistress’.

Millencolin will doubtless find an audience in these nu-metal days, wherever increasing younger audiences are tiring of polished pop product and looking for something a little less cynical and harder at the edges. They do indeed offer a home from home for those who have come to rock.