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Jul 16, 2009 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

The Sounds are very much a guilty pleasure. The Swedish five-piece make unapologetically ‘80s-sounding pop music with a generous helping of synth-y New Wave cool. They are fronted by a stunning blond and tour virtually nonstop in support of their albums. Yet, as indie rock goes, The Sounds are decidedly unhip. Their music is bouncy and energetic, but it tends to hit a rut of sameness wherein the songs start to bleed together into one long dancefloor jam. Of course, this is exactly what makes The Sounds enjoyable—songs such as “No One Sleeps When I’m Awake,” “My Lover,” and “4 Songs & A Fight” ride high on synth-and-guitar grooves and singer Maja Ivarsson’s arena-ready vocals.

Some sonic differences creep up on the band’s third album, to mixed results. “Undergroud” has a nice and vaguely Depeche Mode-esque aura, but the track ends at the two-minute mark. The clunky rapping on “Beatbox” is a glaring misstep, but the clichéd “Home Is Where Your Heart Is” succeeds with its big emotion-filled melodies, despite the song’s lyrical simplicity. Ultimately, The Sounds probably won’t change your world, but they sure can be fun to dance to. (www.myspace.com/thesounds)

Author rating: 5/10