The Shout Out Louds are a Swedish band of indie persuasion, and are up to their 3rd album with 'Our Ill Wills' - released earlier this year in their homelands, but only just released in Canada and the US.
I must confess, I'm not a big fan of indie in general - it's dull tripe for the most part - but this comes across as an extremely well polished record. From the first track, 'Tonight I Have To Leave It' - the first single from the album - the sound is well defined, expertly executed and perfectly formed.
The instrumental mix is great, too - a perfect blend of guitar, piano, and more exotic instruments - and is coupled with a qualified vocal performance. The whole thing is glossier than a glossy thing on a particularly glossy day.
The song writing does verge on indie blandness some of the time - it's more a fault of the genre, really - but as a fairly laid-back, easy-listening kind of album, it's nice. There are some uplifting parts - 'You are Dreaming', and the epic 'Hard Rain' in particular, and a mix of more low-key songs.
'Out Ill Wills' is an album by a band at the top of their game - near flawless in execution, and some really good songs. It lacks ambition in places - there's no 'edge', nor anything particularly new sounding here - but what is here is extremely pleasant, and very accomplished.
What next?More by Shout Out Louds? More reviews? More indie?