2006, Astralwerks
In Colour, the sophomore album from Swedish indie popsters, The Concretes, opens to light pounding of a piano and a female vocalist singing with a certain soothing delicacy that few in the history of music have captured fully. With the pop sensibilities that made the C86 movement memorable, The Concretes seem almost like a twee revival band -- which isn't to say that twee is either dead or needing of revival, rather, the eight-piece band recognizes their influences and isn't afraid to make music that might cause listeners to scratch their heads for a moment, wondering why this wonderfully poppy band seems so simultaneously familiar and fresh.
It's in the liner notes that some of these mysteries (you know -- Who's performing on this track? What did she say there? The usual questions, really) surrounding The Concretes really come to light. Perhaps the biggest question -- why does this sound so familiar? -- is answered when the producer is revealed: the esteemed Mike Mogis, most famous for his producing work and guest performing with a sizeable portion of the Saddle Creek roster.
Luckily, it's not the producer that makes the band an utter hit (though certainly helpful, Mogis probably can't perform miracles -- yet), it's the band itself. Their reverence towards songwriting, their magnificent pop sensibilities, their ability to capture listeners -- that's a small part of what makes The Concretes what they are: a wonderfully entrancing indie pop collective, and In Colour is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.