The sophomore album from Swedish rockers Mando Diao is a schismatic affair. A few minutes of sheer brilliance like gems ‘Added Family’ and ‘Next To Be Lowered’ get our hopes up one moment only to frustrate them the next by been-there, heard-that mediocrity.
Hurricane Bar is certainly a very polished record, thanks to a shiny studio and producer Richard Rainey, who calms the rage and smoothes out the rough edges into a homogenous collection of easy to swallow melodies. With this they lose their distinction, putting forth a pleasing, but generic, brand of retro-rock turned pop which begs the question what happens to a garage band that loses the garage?
However, though Mando Diao might get lost in the throw-back-to-old-times-music crowd with their typical 60’s formula, there is something to be said for their standout artistry amid the pop of today.
Mando Diao’s members really throw themselves headfirst into this thoughtful concept album. Hurricane Bar accomplishes what the Beatles never did; it is a bittersweet homage to the group’s hometown of Borlänge. Complete with the aforementioned tracks and mostly fine-crafted lyrics, Hurricane Bar possesses more depth and soul than would ever be found on MTV’s usual late-night lineup.
If they’re trying to do for Sweden what the Beatles did for Britain, they’re going to have to reclaim some of the edge that made their first album so good. Otherwise they’re just trying desperately to catch a wave long since washed to shore. All in all, though, I’d rather listen to this album than the lackluster offerings routinely served up by so many of their contemporaries.