First things first. Swedish Finnish are neither Swedish nor Finnish but that won't stop me reviewing them and only comparing them to Swedish and Finnish bands!!
They are actually from Seattle and signed to Green Monkey Records. They feature two members of The Fuzz plus one of them's other half on drums and a bloke from The Chemistry set.
The artwork made me think they were going to be all glam metal like Reckless Love or Crashdiet but they are actually more poppy than that. The album opens with Let's Go Rock - a good sing-along rock song and a bit like an updated Hurryganes song with some nicely wry lyrics.
Don't Do Anything (I Wouldn't Do) is along similar lines to those that are followed by say Hillman Lighthouse in recent years: a nice gentle pop-rock song. Rainy Daydream is in very similar territory like they are stuck in Kokkola in the rain and wondering why on earth the British army ever felt the need to invade the place while they dream of warmer climes.
Marla's House sounds like they have had to make one of those steep walks down the hills on the outskirts of Gothenburg to a house besides a lake where the love of their life lives while they are reminding me a bit of Torsson.
I'm Leaving is more garage-rock in the style of The Nomads meets Stupidity but with more harmonies, over a totally classic Garage rock riff that you'll know when you hear it. My Baby Is Gone is full of regret for the baby that's walked out on him whose probably gone and run off with Pepe from Reckless Love. All this while sounding like a slowed down blues that wouldn't be out of place on a Peps Persson record.
Hungover is what happens when you hang out with Swedish and Finnish friends too often. I take it this is about the morning after Kraftskiva as they are feeling dirty and hungover and wondering whose phone number they have as they've had too much aquavit again. It also sounds a bit like the Plastic Pals.
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Do You Speak Chinese is not the sort of question you hear asked often in Helsinki that's for sure. This is like a slowed down Hurryganes song with some of that Hillman Lighthouse influence going on and it's cool pop song that of course begs the question - Cantonese or Mandarin?
Rain Is Falling makes me think of being in Tampere sitting by the river and the electro dam and hearing a song by Melrose that I could sing along to even though I hadn't heard it for over 20 years. This song has that sort of familiarity to it while still being new.
Wasting My Time sounds like they are going for a Teddybears style pop song but with a bit of a softer Peer Gunt feel to it as the song is about one of those relationships that is forever ending and starting again.
The Album closes with Mine Is Better. They might be channelling the bopping elf but only in the way of a lookalike whose stuck in Boras dreaming of being in London and who wants to trade ther Tradgras Algarnas records for something cooler like some KSMB ones instead. It also had a bit of an early Diamond Dogs feel to it from the days when Stevie Klasson was still in the band.
If this sort of Swedish Finnish business is up your street, find out more at Green Monkey Records online
Swedish Finnish Facebook page
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