Spark Large

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Total Tracks: 12   Total Length: 47:38

eMusic Review

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Matthew Fritch

eMusic Contributor

04.22.11
How Swede it is: irresistible pop from Scandinavian duo is a touch of Shins, a dash of Smiths.
2008 | Label: U & L Records, Inc. / IODA

Scandinavia's soft revolution — from early adopters Kings of Convenience to latter-day phenoms Peter Bjorn and John — broadcasts loud and clear to the music-blog masses. Credit it to the persistence of melody: the splashy hooks and campfire-folk sentiment of its foot soldiers make for perfectly digestible, obsession-worthy pop songs. Linköping, Sweden's Marching Band joins the fray with its debut album Spark Large, an unrelenting rush of 12 unassuming superhits by Erik Sunbring and Jacob Lind.

As is appropriate for a group called Marching Band, the duo makes big, busy songs. Spark Large is driven by massed vocal harmonies and supported by frenetically finger-picked guitars and what seems like an army of plinking mallet percussion: xylophone, marimba and vibraphone. Sunbring and Lind have struck a peculiar balance between the pep-rally energy of fellow Swedes I'm From Barcelona, the feather-touch songcraft of the Shins and the small-scale majesty of Mull Historical Society.

Many of the songs here are fueled by constant yearning and underlying ennui (both common Nordic-pop afflictions), but Marching Band makes even its introspective, sotto-voce moments sound like fun. The bit of marimba on opener “For Your Love” provides a Caribbean-themed flashback to the Kinks'… read more »

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It sounds so effortless

Xtn

....and is beautifully crafted. Their more recent album, sadly, doesn't quite live up to this one but I'm hoping they recapture the balance they achieved here. If nothing else, grab Gorgeous Behavior, Make No Plans, Makeup Artist, and Aggravate.

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Awesome surprise

vak78

I had not heard this band at all before downloading and tried it based on reviews alone. And I am so pleased I did! This is fun, danceable pop with good lyrics to boot. I am going to be listening to this one a lot. What are they putting in the water in Sweden these days?

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Wonderful hipster pop

Schemer

This is a flat out killer pop album filled with hipster anthems. Lots of counterpoint and big chords here mixed in a gooey, sticky sweet pop base. I simply cannot get Make Up Artist out of my head. You may not want to admit you like this album, but I'll bet you will.

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Another Swedish success

CANTBELIEVEIMPAYINGFORTHISCRAP

Like the Mary Onettes, this record has a way of hanging around on your playlist until you suddenly find yourself listening to it every day. Not spectacular, and it won't change the world, but supremely pleasant just the same.

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AMAZING RECORD!!!

jonathan-l

This record is brilliant from start to finish. I can't stop listening to it. This is one of my favorite records of 2008! THIS IS A MUST HAVE!

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great talent, average output

dodsonmd

Amazing is right. How can one group have so much untapped potential? You can hear the quality, but the end result, other that perhaps #6)Travel in Time, is well-crafted, quickly forgettable pop.

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"finest example of ..."

PeterPan

All these reviewers who seem to think Marching Band are the greatest thing since disposable diapers are probably still wearing them. As for the band, they could have put a bit of that "song craft" into choosing a better name than Marching Band. Still, the music's pretty good for that kind of thing, or, as Matthew Fritch sums it up so nicely, a fine example of "polyphonic twee."

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Perfect Soundtrack For Your Indian Summer

kruczekfamily

Simple yet complex, and you're left wondering "How can this sound this way?" Stretching out old school REM guitar lines with The Shins of today, and you have the perfect soundtrack for your indian summer. You'll never dis Swedish music again. FIVE STARS!!!!

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Simply Amazing

logic1000

Sorry for the generic title, but this album is just that: Amazing. I cannot recommend this album enough. The first three tracks are irresistible, and there are only two tracks which I feel are not as good (#'s 7 & 10) as the rest; albeit still solid. The harmonies and melodies are beautiful, the instrumentation tight, and disposition sunny. Get this--you won't regret it.

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100 stars

music4thesoul

but unfortunately this clever, catchy and utterly charming album will probably(barring a miracle) barely register with the record buying public. Remind me of I'm from Barcelona as well as Royksop, K of C etc etc and the Cardigans but still have their own uniquesound and style. Travel in Time is such a gorgeous track - is this my new best song of 2008 ( after Katkuda's Ghosts)?

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