 |
| |
|
| |
Album Review
by SashaS
1-3-2004
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
More on: Madrugada
 |
Grit |
| |
Album Review
- 15-10-2002 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
| Madrugada: an ace LP made in Scandinavia |
|
Madrugada: 'Grit'
(Music For Nations)
Madrugada: as cool as the Euro-North
Pop’s TV reality, crap at top of the charts while fewer and fewer consumers are buying singles, some ersatz rock bands, too much recycling… Thank the Jesus’ papa for bands like Madrugada to bring us something refreshing, connecting to the past but not getting bogged down in someone else’s memories.
We’ve mentioned our belief that the future of popular music is in the hands of women and artists whose first language is not English. Women, because they really don’t give a poo about the market demands [apart from R&B divas and pop-princesses], and foreigners due to continually believing in the Rock’s ideals. US, GB and Aussie wannabes are corrupted by the call of fame and realisation how much of money/girls/drugs can be abused and wasted... we, in the shortest possible time.
Madrugada hail from Norway and this is their third album. It is a dark affair, deep and disturbing - sample “Back from your suicide” line from ‘I Don’t Fit’ - floating like that moment before dawn. Er, Madrugada is Spanish word for the hour before the sunrise and the band’s music fits it perfectly. [The fourth track on ‘Grit’ is so titled.]
Sivert Hoylem leads his co-conspirators into the land that Velvet Underground and early [solo] Lou Reed knew so well that was then inherited by Iggy Pop and Nick Cave, the punk-blues legends the Gun Club and, at few instances, they even manage to recall Jon Spencer’s previous outfit, Pussy Galore. And, the fact is that ‘Grit’ was recorded in Berlin, once a place of choice for Bowie, Reed and Cave.
This is an adventure in sonic depths of the polar night, balanced on the verge of insanity. The reason being that Oslo is a place where days are long, nights are longer and medication is necessary to survive the extremes. Nervous systems get shot to pieces and you need a therapist’s [or nearby barman’s] number on a speed-dial. It can get that paranoid.
‘Majesty’ glides in like a lady-of-inevitability, slowly and dressed like a streetwalker, slow burning strings underlining its melancholy. ‘Ready’, ‘Seven Seconds’ and ‘Lucy One’ delightfully rock out, ‘Blood Shot Commitment’ is a monster of a song, ‘Hands Up - I Love You’ is quietly driven in the way Tindersticks and Nick Cave would certainly approve.
‘Got You’ is electro-tribal, ‘Belladonna’ and ‘Ready To Carry You’ bring this plethora of styles to a glorious conclusion. All with lyrics that are much better than many natives can muster. The UK media focus may be on The Darkness, Keane and the whole Detroit scene although, if I were to spend some money on music - this is where it would go.
Buy, enjoy, spread, preserve…
NB: This album has been released via the independent label on the band’s insistence, they are contracted to EMI Norway, because Madrugada realised Virgin wasnot successfuly presenting them around the world. [The label can’t even export Speedway currently!]
8.6/10
SashaS
1-3-2004
Madrugada’s album ‘Grit’ is released 01 March 2004 by Music For Nations
|
|
|
