published: 12 /
2 /
2008
Label:
Songs I Wish I Had Written
Format: CD
Enjoyable indie pop on the debut album from Moto Boy, the moniker of Oscar Humlebo, a Swedish musician
Review
Last year, I reviewed the debut album by a Swedish duo called Pikko, a band that I like musically, but whose female vocalist’s high-pitched voice I really can't stand, at least not in larger doses. So in my review I wrote that I really wanted to hear a solo album from the man who writes all the songs for Pikko, Oskar Humlebo. At that time I didn’t know that he recorded any music on his own, but now I have found out that he does, under the name of Moto Boy. Actually, I didn’t realize that it was the same guy until I heard the fifth song of Moto Boy's new album, 'Beat Heart', which I soon recognised, as it is a song that was featured on the Pikko album as well. Moto Boy's own version is, however, much more melancholic and minimalistic.
This is Oskar’s first album as Moto Boy. When it was released earlier this year in Sweden, he got a lot of attention in the Swedish press and did a lot of interviews, but hardly any of those mentioned his involvement with Pikko, which may seem quite strange, but then again… Pikko is totally unknown even here in Sweden.
So, with me wishing for this album last year, is it any good? I must say that it is. Well, maybe not a masterpiece, but there are a quite a few songs that are really good. The sound goes from the classic singer-songwriter one, to one that somehow resembles the music of 80's bands like Fiction Factory and the Room (does anyone remember them?), a genre that some people like to call “sophisto-pop”. All in all, it’s a nice album, but I would even more like to hear an electronica-based solo effort from Mr Humlebo
Track Listing:-
1
Young Love
2
What It Was Like to Be with You
3
Ride My Wild Heart
4
Blue Motorbike
5
Beat Heart
6
Liebling
8
I Miss You Baby
9
Feed Me with a Kiss
10
Love Is the One Thing You Can't Pretend
11
Karki