KNASH – Friends
Rockstars, for the most part, are the kinds of people who’d pay for a fortune to be taken to the jungle and have the privilege of studying and receiving the natural cures of a shaman. They’re also the kinds of people who’d say nothing and go about their life as if nothing happened when they find out that, without a shadow of a doubt, the shaman was a fraud, and the money was thrown down the drain.
That’s because rockstars are usually obsessed with seeming deep and mysterious. In their minds, they’re existentialist philosophers wearing sunglasses and dragging electric guitars around. And, for the most part, it works. Teenagers even nowadays have posters of Kurt Cobain, Lou Reed or Jim Morisson on their walls. All of them were prophets of nihilism.
KNASH, on the other hand, is charming, upbeat and willing to have everybody over for a house party. Such optimism and good vibes rarely come accompanied by strong songs, but the Swedes are the exception. Like Scandinavians allowed to live all year round on the cost of Spain or Portugal, soaking up the sunny vibes has become a habit. “Friends” is a wonderful little indie-pop song that just about gets everything right.
Ziggy 2000 – Crushing!
They’ll be making pop music forever, or at least for as long as there will be humans around to hear it. They’ll be making it regardless of whether the world becomes the astonishing techno-utopia that the SciFi novels advertised or the hellish, primitive world that resembles what the first human beings must’ve witnessed. But just what will they write about? And just how good will the songs have to be?
The same rules will apply. People writing in their mansions in the sky or from their musky caves will have the exact same mission as the pop songwriters of today. They’ll need lyrics that will connect with listeners, as well as hooks, melodies and rhythms to get people interested. And, certainly, they’ll need a voice with the power to stop the world who will be singing the songs.
Ziggy 2000’s “Crushing!” is the kind of pop music that will work well into a shining or disastrous future. It’s built on charming synth motifs, warm acoustic guitars, and great melodies. But, beyond all of that, “Crushing! benefits from cartoonishly emotional vocals that, in this context, make an immediate impact. Yeah, it’s pure pop music, alright. The purest kind.
