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Download "Get in Line" via Pitchfork (direct link).
Tour Dates
05/07/11 Popadelica Huskvarna SWE
Discography
05/21/11 Strand Stockholm SWE
I'm From Barcelona are a massive band started by Emanuel Lundgren. I love the city of Barcelona so it was with natural curiousity I purchased their debut album, "Let Me Introduce My Friends" and what a lot of friends Emanuel has! 29 musicians contribute to the majority of the songs on this album.
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Cristina and I crowned Sweden's I'm From Barcelona as the largest/oversized band in the world, with its twenty-nine, count 'em, twenty-nine band members. Unlike the creepy chorus singers of The Polyphonic Spree (which changes rosters depending on touring location), the majority of I'm From Barcelona band members actually write and record and play instruments in the band (at least twenty-seven of them did solo-artist songs on their last record, 27 songs from Barcelona).
With that introduction, you'd expect the other twenty-eight band members to have their spot in the sun, but in reality, the majority of their music is written and sung by the band's founder, Emanuel Lundgren. This is not necessary a bad thing, you do need a leader to chart the course and direction of the music, otherwise you'll have a bunch of random songs that doesn't fit together.
I've been listening to their latest album, Forever Today a lot lately. This is not a difficult album to get into, hearing the first few notes on "Charlie Parker" or "Can See Miles", you know that this album is designed for the Spring or Summer. It's catchy, it's feels good, and it's definitely a lot of fun.
Some people might poo-poo simplistic/dumb lyrics like "we don't want to get in line, no we don't want to get in line, no we don't want to get in line" in "Get In Line" (which incidentally is the new single from the band, hear the song remixed on their Facebook) or "I want to be fast/I want to be slow/I want to have somewhere to go/I want to be high/I want to be low" in "Always Spring", but I think they forget that when you hear this song on a stage with all twenty-nine band members doing their parts - you'll love the easy-to-follow lyrics. Yes, that means you'll find yourself hand-clapping and singing along to these songs... even if you've never heard of them!
My favorite track is "Skipping A Beat", which sounds like they borrow the song from an old New Order classic. I also like "Come On", which is about taking it easy and not worrying too much. The only problem I have with this song is that the way "lights" is sung on the song, they made it out like there's three syllables. I understand it, I know they're just following the melodies.
If you like upbeat, happy pop music, you'll absolutely fall in love with I'm From Barcelona. The album, Forever Today, will be released in the US on April 19th via Mute Records.
With that introduction, you'd expect the other twenty-eight band members to have their spot in the sun, but in reality, the majority of their music is written and sung by the band's founder, Emanuel Lundgren. This is not necessary a bad thing, you do need a leader to chart the course and direction of the music, otherwise you'll have a bunch of random songs that doesn't fit together.
I've been listening to their latest album, Forever Today a lot lately. This is not a difficult album to get into, hearing the first few notes on "Charlie Parker" or "Can See Miles", you know that this album is designed for the Spring or Summer. It's catchy, it's feels good, and it's definitely a lot of fun.
Some people might poo-poo simplistic/dumb lyrics like "we don't want to get in line, no we don't want to get in line, no we don't want to get in line" in "Get In Line" (which incidentally is the new single from the band, hear the song remixed on their Facebook) or "I want to be fast/I want to be slow/I want to have somewhere to go/I want to be high/I want to be low" in "Always Spring", but I think they forget that when you hear this song on a stage with all twenty-nine band members doing their parts - you'll love the easy-to-follow lyrics. Yes, that means you'll find yourself hand-clapping and singing along to these songs... even if you've never heard of them!
My favorite track is "Skipping A Beat", which sounds like they borrow the song from an old New Order classic. I also like "Come On", which is about taking it easy and not worrying too much. The only problem I have with this song is that the way "lights" is sung on the song, they made it out like there's three syllables. I understand it, I know they're just following the melodies.
If you like upbeat, happy pop music, you'll absolutely fall in love with I'm From Barcelona. The album, Forever Today, will be released in the US on April 19th via Mute Records.
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