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BRING ’EM IN
(Mute)
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Although Sweden has yet to score a major rock hit from its apparently teeming underground, there seems to be an endless well of eclectic musical Swedes for Amerindie labels to draw from. Mando Diao are neo-mod poster boys whose American debut is shot through with jolts of British Invasion/’60s garage rock that crackles with youthful energy and draws on typical teenage sexual and even metaphysical tensions. The semi-lo-fi (or mid-fi) production gives Bring ’Em In the feel of an old vinyl album, and that bolsters the band’s retro leanings. "Motown Blood," "Paralyzed" (two of the album’s best tracks), "Lady," and "Bring ’Em In" all rely on pulsating Rolling Stones–style soul/blues grooves. "Sweet Ride," "P.U.S.A.," and "Little Boy Jr." are blaring guitar hip shakers in the classic Kinks mode with touches of hard-charging organ and the occasional symphonic horn passage. The band also throw in a couple of down-tempo tunes that channel post-Revolver Beatles ("Mr. Moon," "Lauren’s Cathedral"). Mando Diao aren’t a toss-off cover band — they’re simply in the process of making decades of solid rock moves their own.
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