I've been really into remixes this summer. Maybe it's because there hasn't been all that much new music that's struck me the past few months. I especially love remixes that take a song and totally shift it into something else (a dance mix of a dance song is sorta superfluous, right?). Given that I'm a super fan, I've always wished that there were more remixes of songs by the Ark out there. They did just come out with some mixes of Breaking Up With God, but I'd love to hear some new interpretations (or, dare I wish, a megamix?) of their older classics. I'm not even sure if the mix I'm posting today was done by a professional. It's not an official mix, but I've had it in my collection for years now. At first, it's nothing special. Just a basic dance beat. But once that simple piano riff starts, everything kicks into gear. This song may end up being known as the Ark's crowning achievement, so I'm surprised it doesn't have any official mixes. It's such an anthem... there's so much potential for something earth-shattering and floor-filling. For an unreleased mix, though, this is pretty good. And as is always the case with remixes, it all comes down to this: a great song is a great song, no matter how it's presented.
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy their greatest hits here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
Ark news! I wasn't sure if I was ever gonna get to say that again, so it's a wonderful surprise to be able to feature this new "song" by the band. I put "song" in parentheses because in reality this is a short advert for a Swedish recycling campaign (the randomness!! I love it!). But don't let the word advert scare you away. This is basically a shortened Ark song, with all the pomp and glamour expected. It sounds a bit like their last album, which isn't necessarily the biggest endorsement coming from me, but if added to the tracklist, this would've been one of the best tracks (if not the best). So THAT is a big endorsement! Most importantly, the video is AWESOME. I am so, so, so sad that this band is breaking up. At least they're doing it in style. Though maybe they should take "recycling" to the heart and decide against the split!
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the greatest hits here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
I've been enjoying this track for a few days now, but thought I'd post it today because it's the release date for the band's greatest hits. I've already done my Ark tribute earlier this year with my five day Arkeology retrospective, and I'm sure I don't need to blather on again about how they're my favorite band and blah blah blah, so I'll focus specifically on this, their final song, instead. The Apocalypse Is Over is a swan song if ever there was one. It carries a heavy note of finality from the very beginning, documenting the group's rise to fame and offering a self-tribute of sorts. The Ark has always been close to their fans, and many of Ola's best lyrics created self-empowering anthems that were less about him personally than the band's Angelheads (the name given to their most devoted fans). This last song is a celebration of this relationship -- a final rallying cry. The music is suitably anthemic and thunderous, though there's also a hint of melancholy in the verses. It's bittersweet, as it should be. And, judging from the lyrics, it's definitely the end, providing us diehard fans with a needed sense of closure. Make sure you catch them on Melodifestivalen this weekend. I'm not sure what crazy "transformation" they'll make (if you've been watching MF this year, you know what I mean), but I'm hoping they're allowed to play two songs, as many of the interval acts have.
I don't usually post on weekends, but what would an Ark tribute be without a reveal of their new single? I've been listening to this for several days now, and I can safely say that this is up with their best material. While I was disappointed with their last album, this is truly a return to form. It's a combination of all of their best sounds -- epic glam rock, 80's style disco, and thoughtful, uplifting lyrics both skewering and celebrating religion. It's a brilliant way to end their career (love those choirs and guitars in the middle eight) and really makes the whole idea of a band break-up that much more bittersweet. I wasn't sure they still had this kind of song in them (production from the man behind In Lust We Trust certainly helps). This is the song I've been waiting for!
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the single (worldwide) here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
What is to be the Ark's last studio album (until the eventual reunion, fingers crossed) certainly sounds like it. This has an air of finality to it. It's the group's most grown-up work, but also stands far apart from their other releases. The sound is retro 70's glam rock, but not in the same way that listeners were used to hearing from the band. The production's fuzzier, the vocals are rougher, and all in all it's a harder album to love than the past four, and the only release that didn't reach the top spot in the charts. At the same time, it's an essential part of the Ark story.
NOTE: I reviewed this album just last April but haven't looked back at that review in preparation for this one. I think it's interesting to see how views change after you've lived with an album for awhile.
1. Take A Shine To Me An odd mix of Abba and Sweet, this doesn't work quite as well as that would make it sound. It's one of the lightest tracks on the album and one of the best. More a continuation of the last album's glam sound than anything, but not as captivating. 8/10 2. Superstar Single #1 Chart Peak: 33 Weeks on Chart: 1 This will probably go down as my least-favorite Ark single. It's not that it's not catchy, and it's not that I didn't like it at first, but the production irks me (a problem I have with the entire album, actually). The key seems to high and the melody, while nice, is just too repetitive. 8/10 3. Stay With Me Single #2 Chart Peak: n/a Weeks on Chart: n/a The second and last single from the album, I really like the first two thirds of the song but, like with the last track, the vocal histrionics of the last part just aren't very well produced. What does work, though, is the lyrics. And I've actually grown to like this more than I did on first listen. 8/10 4. Singing 'Bout The City One of the absolute highlights of the album, though it sounds very little like material we'd expect from the band. An odd amalgamation of hippy rock, country, disco and Broadway musical, this functions, lyrically, as a fitting finale to the Ark song. It brings Ola full circle, from his childhood in the countryside to his career with the band in the city and back again. 10/10 5. Have You Ever Heard A Song My favorite ballad on the album, though it borders on over-sentimentality. Still, it's a dramatically delicate gospel-infused ballad that, again, sounds very much like a swan song for the band. Should have been the last track on the album. 9/10 6. Publicity Seeking Rockers The production could certainly be cleaner, but this is one of the better tracks here and kicks off the second half, glammier portion of the album. There's a classic glitter rock sound at work here that could have been amazing. It's a very near-miss. 8/10 7. I'll Have My Way With You, Frankie This is a big departure into a harder sound for the band and it actually works. It's not necessarily the band I fell in love with, but I think this is a late-career standout. 9/10 8. All Those Days I really don't like this song. I've tried, but I just can't get into it. It's easily the dullest track on any Ark album (excluding their pre-album EP) and seems to go nowhere. 6/10 9. Hygiene Squad A weird, twist-and-shout novelty sound dominates this truly ponderous track. I like it, but it's definitely nothing I would expect from the band. It's been nearly a year and I still don't quite know what to think of this. 8/10 10. The Red Cap The purest Ark-sounding song on the album, even though the lyrics are a bit strange. Still, the production's better than most of the previous tracks and there's even a hint of the old bombast present. This might be my favorite on the album, which really says something because it's certainly not single-material. 10/10 ALBUM: 8.4
Released just before the band represented Sweden in 2007's Eurovision Song Contest, this was the album that introduced the Ark to an international audience. It was also the first release for the band as an official six-piece (welcoming keyboardist Jens Andersson) and their first with a new record label. Of all the albums, Prayer can be described best as a distillation of all of their earlier sounds up to this point. It's the most varied musically, and also the poppiest and produced. It also has the distinction of being the Ark album with the most weeks spent at number one (4 straight weeks).
1. Prayer For The Weekend Single #3 Chart Peak: 15 Weeks on Chart: 9 Kicking off the band's most scattered release was this propulsive, percussion-fueled single. It was a bit of a departure in sound and is probably one of the more forgettable singles they've released. Still heads and shoulders above most stuff (including their more recent material), but the melody doesn't quite get there for me. 9/10 2. The Worrying Kind Single #2 Chart Peak: 1 Weeks on Chart: 20 Their Melodifestivalen and Eurovision entry, and the best charting single of their career. It's pure and utter bubblegum glam. But unlike most Eurovision fodder, Ola's psycho-analytical lyrics offer this radio track the necessary pathos that elevates it to a completely different level. Good party track, too. 10/10 3. Absolutely No Decorum Single #1 Chart Peak: 26 Weeks on Chart: 7 Probably my favorite track from the album. This is pure, classic Ark. It perfectly mixes the sounds of their last two albums to create a bombastic stadium anthem. And with lyrics about "bug free zone(s)" and a-bombs in hearts, it's another huge rallying cry for the Ark troops. Unfortunately, this was more of a buzz single than anything, without an accompanying video or much of an official release. That video would've been epic, too. 10/10 4. Little Dysfunk You Single #4 Chart Peak: 58 Weeks on Chart: 1 A soaring 80's new wave pastiche with foreboding, Depeche Mode-type verses and an explosive, melodic chorus. This one hit me on first listen and is still one of my highlights. The lyrics are delightfully strange, at times winking, smutty and celebratory. 10/10 5. New Pollution A rousing glam rocker paying tribute to "amazing leotards" and hairspray and all that good stuff. Paying tribute to the Ark, in other words. There's also a bit of melody and lyric borrowed from The Who's Tommy, an album the band previously paid tribute to in the Father Of A Son video and an obvious influence in their work. 10/10 6. Thorazine Corazon One of the few Ark songs I just don't get. It's got a weird electro-bossa-nova vibe to it that is quite different than any of the band's other work. Add to that a sleepy, forgettable melody and this is possibly my least-favorite album track up to this point. 7/10 7. I Pathologize An old school 70's glam rocker. It's definitely filler, but with its glittery hook and fun lyrics, it's a welcome addition to the album. 9/10 8. Death To The Martyrs One of the best, most cutting album tracks the band's recorded. A glamrock story-song about a self-proclaimed martyr, Ola takes the opportunity to tear the guy down verse by verse, leading into a searing singalong chorus, sung by a boy's choir, no less. It's brilliantly funny and sweeping in its drama. And if you've ever wanted to hear little kids sing "you sorry ass," this is the song for you. 10/10 9. All I Want Is You A frantic piano-driven glam rock track that's reminiscent of some of Abba's first recordings. It's dated on purpose, but doesn't work nearly as well as songs like The Worrying Kind. 8/10 10. Gimme Love To Give A handclap, gospel stomper. It's a very interesting sound for the band, especially given Ola's history with the church. It's also another example of how diverse and scatter-brained this album is. 9/10 11. Uriel An old Ark song, recorded finally for this album. It hearkens back to the soft ballads of their first album. The provocative lyrics paint a very interesting picture, but it's not one of my favorite of the band's ballads. 8/10 ALBUM: 9.1
B-sides:
Any Operator Will Do (B-side to Little Dysfunk You) Like The Worrying Kind, this is a direct nod back to the glam era of years past. As Ark songs go, it's a relatively forgettable piece of fluff. Pleasant, but unnecessary. And I always cringe a bit at those chorus lyrics. 7/10
Jettisoning some of the bombast of In Lust We Trust, the band went for a more streamlined, electronic edge with their third album. It was a sonic revelation. This is the band's party album, but this is the Ark we're talking about, so lyrical depth and experimentation was in no short supply. Even with an added focus on beat (including some African influences), the band managed their second straight masterpiece. It was also the first time I had the pleasure of seeing them live (in Gothenburg the spring of 2006).
Stats: Debuted at #12 (after less than a week of sales, climbed to #1 the following week) 25 weeks in the top 60
1. This Piece Of Poetry Is Meant To Do Harm Opens the album with an electronic, T-Rex-style glam thomp and some orchestral flourishes thrown in for good measure. This is an incredibly clever, funny track with one of the most addictive melodies on the album. 10/10 2. Rock City Wankers Ola rails against self-obsessed and self-destructive rockers, a theme he would later revisit on the band's fifth album. This track's got some of my favorite lyrics on the album, but beyond that, the funky-beyond-belief guitar riff makes this a career standout. 10/10 3. Clamour For Glamour Single #2 Chart Peak: 10 Weeks on Chart: 23 The band had made clear their adoration of glam rock prior to this, but if there was any doubt, this propulsive, call-to-arms party track makes their ambitions very clear. It was a long-lasting hit in Sweden, and rightfully so. It's immediately catchy and simple to the point of being silly. But that's the fun of it. 10/10 4. One Of Us Is Gonna Die Young Single #1 Chart Peak: 4 Weeks on Chart: 18 The best "carpe diem" song ever written. At turns raucous, inspiring and bittersweet, this may not be the flashiest song in the band's catalog, but it's one of their very best (if not the best). The drum work alone gives me chills. But it's the lyrics and Ola's delivery that seal the deal. It's a guaranteed pick-me-up, grappling with death in the most uplifting way possible. (note: the band also released a subtly remixed version--basically, more drums on the chorus--for the U.S. market, along with a new video) 10/10 5. Let Me Down Gently A dramatic 80's synth rock ballad, the the surging nature of the production (especially in the chorus) has more in common with a dance track than the slower, more pensive ballads of the band's past. Would've made a great single. 10/10 6. Hey Kwanongoma! When I very first heard this track about six years ago, I wasn't crazy about it Over the years, I've come full-circle. I love the African influences (and wish the band would have played around with this style even more) and the lyrics, fictional or not, certainly hark back to Ola's much-documented, delightfully oddball childhood. 10/10 7. The Others Another of the band's many olive branches to counterculture. This encompasses a lot, and acts as a rallying cry to anyone who's ever felt different. Whereas It Takes A Fool... (from 2000) took a gentler, more poignant track, this is in-your-face and loud, painting a picture of a sort of sexual revolution (part two, I suppose). It's a nice counterpoint, and a great show of confidence from the band. 10/10 8. Girl You're Gonna Get 'Em (Real Soon) Riffing on the Knack's My Sharona, the band augments the punchy groove and builds a thrilling dance rock song around it. It's one of my favorites on the second part of the album and truly a lost single. A simple, straightforward pop song done to perfection. 10/10 9. Deliver Us From Free Will An inventive blend of disco, rock and musical theater, this is the only non-single that will be included on their greatest hits collection, and for good reason. It's such a huge pop song. The fact that the band can afford to put something this amazing towards the end of an album shows just how consistently brilliant they are. 10/10 10. No End A gentle, falsetto-led ballad with some really sweet, romanticized lyrics. It works perfectly as an (almost) album closer. Not nearly as flashy as the rest of the tracks here, but attention-grabbing in its own way. 10/10 11. Trust Is Shareware Single #3 Chart Peak: n/a Weeks on Chart: n/a A last-minute digital single in a slightly remixed (and in this case, better) form, this is a solid album track and an intriguingly odd (but apt) metaphor for trust, but it baffled me then and baffles me now as a single choice. It's still getting perfect marks, but there were so many better potential singles on this album. 10/10 ALBUM: 10/10
B-sides:
Get It Right (B-side to One Of Us...) Like Hey Kwanongoma, this was the band taking cue from African music and creating something very special. It wouldn't quite have fit in with the album, but on its own its a real achievement. A spare, haunting melody's built around a huge, repetitive chant. I can't think of many artists that craft music like this, but if they're out there I would love to hear them because this sort of hybrid is really special. 10/10
Stay Real / Look Sweet (b-side to Clamour For Glamour) The band's most Scissor Sisters-esque moment. This flirts with the dance side of their dance rock more than any other track they've recorded. It's an interesting record, and well-worth its b-side status, but it doesn't feel as inventive as most of their stuff. 9/10
This was the band's "us" album, a selection of songs that tackled social issues with a wider, at times political, perspective than their debut. Lyrically, it's the band's strongest release and includes their best ever run of singles. The overall sound is bigger and rockier, and more consistent than the first album. It was also the release that cemented the group as one of Sweden's biggest bands, and an undisputed masterpiece of an album.
1. Beauty Is The Beast A straight-up rocker about the "idea of ideal beauty" and the social problems it creates. It's the first case of many on the album where Ola spotlights social issues in a clever way. The key to this album's success, though, is that it never lets the message get in the way of a big chorus. 10/10 2. Father Of A Son Single #2 Chart Peak: 5 Weeks on Chart: 8 This is actually the first song I ever heard by the band, and what an introduction it was. This is one of the Ark's very best singles -- a blistering, funny, and ultimately poignant glam-fueled hissy fit against those who would outlaw gay adoption. It was their most bombastic moment up to this point and another classic rallying cry. Flawless. 10/10 3. Tell Me This Night Is Over Single #3 Chart Peak: 28 Weeks on Chart: 9 A heartbreaking hymn on loneliness and its psychological effects. Ola's lyrics, as ever, are incredibly sharp and provocative (can you believe English is not this guy's first language?), and the chorus is one of the band's best. It also features my all-time favorite use of a gospel choir towards the end. Massive. 10/10 4. Calleth You, Cometh I Single #1 Chart Peak: 2 Weeks on Chart: 18 In recent months, I think this has become my favorite Ark song. It's tough, because it's competing with a few others for the honor, but to me this encapsulates everything I love about the band. It's dramatic, ebullient, and larger than life. Those last few minutes is what I'd imagine an ascent to heaven would sound like. You can just lose yourself in the music. Honestly, it's gotten the best of me several times when I've had the pleasure of seeing it performed live. It still gives me chills. It's also one of the band's most successful singles, voted among the best of the millennium by the Swedish public. 10/10 5. A Virgin Like You They slow things down a little bit here, with a ballad about the loss of innocence and the yearning to get it back. The growth in production and song craft from the first album to this one is immediately apparent here, as the tone of the track is spot-on. 10/10 6. Interlude A brief instrumental, notable for the fact that, when played backward, there are apparently whispered voices (most likely extolling the meaning of life, right?). Judge for yourself. They're hard to hear. 7. Tired Of Being An Object? We're in Rocky Horror territory now, with a fun, smutty rocker. It's as campy as the album gets, and a welcome dose of fun amongst all the serious themes. It's a great melody, but the lyrics, which turn common conceptions about prostitution and sex work on their head, are pure Ola. 10/10 8. Disease Single #4 Chart Peak: n/a Weeks on Chart: n/a A gentle, electronic-influenced track that seems to be about AIDs, though Ola's stated that it's not really that specific. It's one of the most touching and unusual moments on the album. The lyrics really paint an interesting picture, at turns romantic and pessimistic. 10/10 9. Vendelay A curio in the Ark catalog, though a wonderful one. This middle-eastern sounding track is like nothing else on the album, and could have been a disaster. But the sitar-laced melody is addictive, as are the strange, romantic (?) lyrics. 10/10 10. 2000 Light Years Of Darkness An eight-minute epic that acts as a sort of compliment to Tell Me This Night Is Over. Both deal with loneliness and isolation, though in this track the narrator seems to revel in it, at least initially. The song has a 70's rock feel to it, with some of the most rousing instrumentation on the album. 10/10 11. The Most Radical Thing To Do A manifesto if there ever was one. The album ends in anthemic fashion, with a call to love the one you love, end of. Punky, punchy verses collide with an enormous, melodic chorus in a truly jaw-dropping conclusion to a gutsy, extremely alive album. 10/10 ALBUM: 10/10
B-sides:
Power To Change (B-side to Calleth You, Cometh I) This strummy rocker is an ode to the comedown after the dazzling rock heights of their stadium-filling album tracks. Lyrically, it's one of the most interesting song in their catalog. The shout-along chorus is incredibly cathartic. 10/10
The Glad Yeah (b-side to Father Of A Son) The song title inspired another young Swedish glam band that became a sort of tribute act to the Ark. The song itself is similar in sound to Power To Change, starting out slow and building to something quite cathartic. Ola pulls a Dr. Frank-n-Furter two thirds of the way through with a really fun vocal performance. 9/10
Opera (b-side to Disease) Completely over-the-top and theatrical, this was perhaps too lightweight for the album, but functions brilliantly as a b-side. One of their best, actually. This is pure Ark, and nobody can do it better. Another example of the band at their creative peak. 10/10
Kolla Kolla (Part of the National Sånger compilation) Recorded as a tribute to the prog band Nationalteatern, the Ark imbue this Swedish track with enough energy to fuel a hundred house parties. To English-speaking listeners, it's probably one of the band's strangest recordings, but it's also one of their best. There is no way you can sit still to this one. 10/10
So as you may or may not know, 2011 will be the last year for my favorite band, The Ark. They are one of the biggest reasons I started this blog in the first place, so it's only fitting that I see them off with a tribute of sorts, all leading up to their release of greatest hits single Breaking Up With God a week from today (and from the sample I've heard, it sounds like it's going to be a return to form).
5 albums, 5 days. Every track and b-side reviewed. This will be the ultimate guide to the band!
Airbrushed to look plastic on the album cover, this was the band's huge leap into the mainstream and a reinvention from their lo-fi, grungy beginnings. Their overall look was probably the most extreme it's ever been, with Ola sporting many different colors of hair and more than one glam leotard/bodysuit. As Ola's said before, it was the band's "me" album -- more a statement of intent than anything. It wouldn't be until the next release that they widened their perspective and focused more heavily on social issues.
1. Hey Modern Days One of my favorite album tracks, this was the bombastic introduction to the new Ark sound. Opening with squiggly electronics, the track soon bursts into an irresistable, sing-along chorus. It's the sound of pure, unadulterated joy. It's also a load of nonsense, which I love. 10/10 2. Echo Chamber Single #3 Chart Peak: 42 Weeks on Chart: 13 A pomp-rock classic, this is all power chords and over-the-top vocals. The lyrics, about those who won't listen to anyone but themselves, are delightfully in your face. The song's got more swagger than most bands can dream of. 10/10 3. Joy Surrender Single #4 Chart Peak: 23 Weeks on Chart: 6 A slow-burn glam track which sees some incredibly low vocals from Ola and some excellent guitar work in the epic chorus. I still think it's an odd choice for a single since it's not the catchiest song on the album, but this is classic Ark. 10/10 4. It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane Single #2 Chart Peak: 7 Weeks on Chart: 22 Speaking of classic, I'm not even sure what I can say about this one. It's probably the band's most well-known song and the one that broke them into the mainstream (it spent a whopping four months in the top ten!). It was also recently voted the fourth best song of the millennium by the Swedish public. Quite simply, this epic ballad is one of the greatest anthems ever written. It means too much to me to encapsulate in a small review like this. 10/10 5. Ain't Too Proud To Bow Continuing with the self-pride theme, this punchy uptempo track has always suffered a bit from immediately following It Takes A Fool. The lyrics are very clever, but the song as a whole is certainly lighter than the band's best material. The fire alarm bells in the chorus has always annoyed me, as well. 8/10 6. Bottleneck Barbiturate This is very much a template for the classic, old-school Ark ballad. It's dramatic without being overpowering. It starts out a little hesitant, but once the instrumentation kicks in, it becomes a full-power, Queen-like ballad. 9/10 7. Let Your Body Decide Single #1 Chart Peak: 59 Weeks on Chart: 1 The band's first single, later re-released after they found success with It Takes A Fool. It's more electronic than most of the material on this first album, and an excellent example of the reoccurring gender politics that dominate much of Ola's lyrics. It's as catchy as catchy gets. 10/10 8. Patchouli For some reason, this has always reminded me of Billy Joel. It's a straight-ahead piano rocker with some excellent hand-claps and choral vocals. Definitely filler, but excellent filler. 9/10 9. This Sad Bouquet Another very slow ballad. It's incredibly pretty and delicate, but I'm glad that the band opted for bigger sounds in the future. I would've preferred this as a b-side, as I've always thought that it cut the energy of the album. 8/10 10. Angelheads Now we're back to the classic stuff. "Angelheads" has become the name given to Ark fans, so this song deserves recognition simply for that. It's a pretty straightforward rocker, but the excellent lyrics and performance by Ola make it stand out. 10/10 11. Laurel Wreath The guitar riff in this track is monumental. It's such a funky departure for the band, and functions best played at full volume. It's probably the hardest rocker on the entire album. 10/10 12. You, Who Stole My Solitude This is such an epic way to close the album. It's got an electronic, 80's feel to it -- a little bit Depeche Mode, maybe. The melody is fantastic, but the male choir at the end pushes this into different territory altogether. It's enough to give you goosebumps. 10/10 ALBUM: 9.5/10
1. Racing With The Rabbits Far from the sound most people have come to love from the Ark, this debut EP (released four years prior to their mainstream debut), is a grungier affair. It has a lo-fi, demo quality to it, though you can hear glimpses of what was to come. The seesaw melody and religious allusions form a bridge between their initial, unreleased recordings like The Lamb(6/10) and Flower King (4/10), from the mid nineties, and their newer stuff. This, though, sounds much more like a rough draft on the way to something better. 5/10
2. I Laid It Down Similar sound, less engaging melody. I like the jangly sound of the guitars and the hint of a majestic backdrop coming through, but this, again, is just a very different band. 5/10
3. Cracked Messiah There's a definite Bowie influence in the vocals here, though the religious antics and the plodding guitar crunch of the chorus is actually reminiscent of Marilyn Manson. One of my least favorite Ark songs. 4/10
4. Od Slatrom Ekil Easily the band's longest song at just under ten minutes, you get the feeling from the puffed up length to the backwards title ("Like Mortals Do"), that this is the band at their peak of youthful pretension. Again, their are small hints of what's to come, especially in the bombast of the melodic chorus. But the song's way too long. I rarely make it through the whole thing before switching to something else! 5/10
Siamese Centerfold (Demo) (B-side to Let Your Body Decide) A downtempo, funky piece of electro-glam. It definitely sounds more unfinished than the other b-sides from the album. I'd love to hear a full, fleshed out version. As it stands, this is a strong, if somewhat uneventful entry in their catalog. 8/10
The Homecomer (b-side to It Takes A Fool...) A delicate ballad in the vein of This Sad Bouquet or Bottleneck Barbiturate from the album. I'm glad it was left off the album, as I feel it would drag down the energy, but on its own terms it's a provocative story-song with a nice melody and great performance from Ola. 8/10
Topsy Kaiser (b-side to Joy Surrender) One of the band's absolute best b-sides, and also a strong indication of where the next album would be going in both sound and lyrical content. Built on a powerful, sneering guitar riff, this punky rocker is a bombastic call to arms that easily could have been a single. 10/10
Cygnet To Cygnet (b-side to Joy Surrender) Another track that's single-quality, even though it's been relegated to b-side status. It's a more flamboyant, theatrical piece of glam rock with some incredible vocals and mysterious lyrics. 10/10
Five albums in, these guys opted for a more current, dance-influenced sound. It resulted in their best album since 2006’s Motion In The Ocean. Really, you could graft any current trend or genre onto their music and it would still be a pleasant listen because they’re great pop songwriters. Unlike so many bands their age (and style), they know their way around a hook. Like many of the albums in the lower half of my countdown, this is completely driven by the singles and soon-to-be-singles, but even the filler is pretty consistent.
What to say about the soon-to-be-departed Ark? They are my favorite band of all time, which makes it very difficult to place this album all the way down at number fifteen. Unfortunately, though, this is easily the Ark’s worst effort (reflected in sales and radio success as well). I’ll support them in whatever they do because they’ve given us some of the best music ever recorded. This, though, almost sounds like a different band completely. Gone is the bombast in favor of dull 70's rock. I tried to love it and couldn't get past a casual "like." But they’re the Ark. And even the Ark at its worst is better than a lot of stuff out there. (and hey, the Delays--another personal fave--didn’t even make it on this countdown!)
As my review yesterday noted, the new Ark album is a curious thing, for sure. I think if it had been recorded by any other band I’d be singing its praises right now, but with the standard the Ark have set for themselves over the years, I’m a little reticent. However, I’m unflinching in my praise for one of the album’s best tracks. Singing ‘Bout The City is one of the strangest songs in the Ark canon. Sure, Ola’s musings about the differences between city and country life aren’t all that surprising, but the music behind them is almost jarringly new. Awhile back, the band had expressed interest in bringing country-rock influences into this record, and there’s definitely some of that to be found in the guitar here. But then it shifts into a pure disco hook (a little Bee Gees-esque?) that saves it from becoming a one-genre experiment. Add to that the funky big-band jazz flourishes that punctuate the opening (does it remind anyone else of the theme to Cowboy Bebop?), and you’ve got something that’s quite indefinable. And that’s before the song has segued into its theatrical, symphonic middle section. It’s the kind of shift that defines what an amazing band the Ark really are. They’re willing to experiment within the pop/rock genre they’ve established for themselves. That can be a good thing and a bad thing. Luckily, it’s very successful here. And, unlike a few of the other tracks, Ola’s vocals are spot on throughout, meeting each shift in sound with the verve and believability of a true showman. It certainly doesn’t hurt that this has gotta be one of the more autobiographical songs he’s written.
It would be pointless to try and pretend that I can be objective about an Ark album. They are, as anyone who reads this blog knows, my favorite band. That being said, In Full Regalia was the first Ark album that I didn't love right off the bat. Unashamedly retro, it's a pretty substantial shift in sound for the guys, and threw me off at first. Luckily, the album's a grower. It remains a collection of consistently good tracks, even if nothing on here comes close to the band's best moments.
1. Take A Shine To Me - An Abba pastiche, plain and simple. The guys came close to this in 2007 with The Worrying Kind, but this is Abba through and through, adding a healthy dose of Beach Boys style harmonies. It's an upbeat, fun way to start the album... though it's a very different sound for them. 9/10
2. Superstar - It's my least favorite Ark single to launch an album, though still miles ahead of most bands. The aggressive guitar riff remains the highlight. Ola's vocals border on shrill here, though, which is a general complaint I have about the album as a whole. He's one of my favorite rock vocalists of all time, so I'm actually surprised to be saying that. 8/10
3. Stay With Me - The first big ballad, it has an odd sound to it. Reminds me a bit of an old standard. Very cinematic, but also intimate and genuinely touching. Ola's lower register makes a welcome reappearance in the first half, which is really quite beautiful. 8/10
4. Singin' 'Bout The City - The closest thing on the album to a future Ark classic, this sounds so unlike them, yet really works. It functions as the centerpiece to the album, a song-suite that manages to cram elements of disco, country, 70's rock and classical music into five minutes. The lyrics are great, the theatrical interlude is fantastic, and the ambition is there. The best track, for sure. 10/10
5. Have You Ever Heard A Song - This has grown more grandiose since we first heard the "acoustic" version. Taking cues from gospel, this rootsy ballad grows and grows until it hits a beautiful climax. It's simple, hymn-like, and the best ballad on the album. 9/10
6. Publicity Seeking Rockers - Total 70's glam about bands that are more concerned with tabloids and image than actual music. This one took awhile to grow on me, but once it did I was quite hooked. They've really mastered that early to mid-70's "glitter rock" sound. 9/10
7. I'll Have My Way With You, Frankie - Definitely the hardest sounding track the band have recorded since breaking out. It's an intense blend of chugging guitar and rapid-fire lyrics that's miles away from what we're used to from the Ark. It's an experiment that works, for sure. 10/10
8. All Those Days - I never thought I'd describe an Ark track as "dirge-like," but this 70's acid-trip of a ballad definitely fits the description. I think I would have loved it as a b-side, or even album-closer, but it cuts the energy placed where it is. it sounds like a Doors tribute song. Unexpected, and I'm not sure if it's a good thing. 7/10
9. Hygiene Squad - Jeez this is a strange little album, and this may be the strangest track of all. It's another flashback to what they used to call "junkshop glam." It's a genre I'm quite fond of, and the Ark do it justice. But the lyrics here are WEIRD. 9/10
10. The Red Cap - Which brings me to the last track. I'm trying to decipher the lyrics here, and if there's some meaning (historical?) that I'm not intelligent enough to be extracting from them. Regardless, this is actually one of my favorite tracks on the album. Maybe it's because it sounds the most like the old Ark. It's straightforward, with emphasis on melody. That's all I ask! 10/10
My first thoughts are: this is definitely a new Ark. It's a very interesting and artsy video showcasing the band's newly stripped down look. Very nice. I can't wait for the album. Only about two weeks to go...
This blog has turned into a bit of an Ark blog the past few days, hasn't it? Well, this morning I have the "album" cover and tracklist for you. You'll notice "album" is in quotations because the band have decided to release the record in conjunction with their own magazine (unfortunately in Swedish), complete with 100 pages of photos, lyrics, and behind the scenes articles. Pretty exciting! It'll allow them to have massive distribution, not only in record stores but at newsstands, too. Plus the album art is fantastic.
The Ark - In Full Regalia
1. Take a shine to me 2. Superstar 3. Stay with me 4. Singing ’bout the city 5. Have you ever heard a song 6. Publicity seeking rockers 7. I’ll have my way with you, Frankie 8. All those days 9. Hygiene squad 10. The red cap
"It doesn't matter who you see if you are the queen bee"
The time has finally come for a new Ark single. This event is like Christmas for me, eclipsed only by a new Ark album (ahem... April 26th) and I've gotta say, ever since hearing this early in the morning it's been stuck in my head. It's certainly classic Ark, blending the dynamic guitar riffs of past singles like Clamour For Glamour with the rockier sound of their In Lust We Trust album (hopefully this album's even half as good as that one). Expectedly, Ola flubs one of the English words, pronouncing "repertoire" as "reptu-are." It's not the first time the band have added their own pronunciation (intentional or not). It's kind of endearing, though you'd think one of the band's handlers would have alerted them to this since the word appears quite often. Still, it's a great song with an uplifting, anthemic message and the kind of bombast you'd expect from an Ark single. I bet it's not the best on the album, but it'll be big in Sweden, as it should be. And I will be playing it on a pretty much constant loop, as I should be.
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy their albums here (as if you don't already have them). Follow me on twitter and facebook.
The Ark premiered a new song from their upcoming album today on Swedish program Dom Kallar Oss Artister (They Call Us Artists - I translated that myself, aren't you proud?), a gorgeous ballad called Have You Ever Heard A Song. What a stirring album closer this would be! It reminds me of some of the great ballads on their first two albums.
And, on a related note, I'm not sure if Ola's ever looked or sounded better.
Also, if you want to hear short clips of two other unfinished songs, the documentary streams here. I recommend the part where Ola conducts the symphony with a french fry. His face cracks me up.
Now, I'm not Swedish (as much as I'd like to be!), and although I can read bits and pieces of the language, I'm not so good with the aural part. But... the following list of songs appeared at the end of the Ola Salo documentary that aired recently on Swedish television. Two of the titles have already been confirmed by the band, and a demo clip of track two plays at the end of the same documentary. So I ask my Swedish readers, did the voice-over reveal anything I missed? If it's really the finished list, then it is certainly quite interesting. Strange song titles, even for them. I'd love more than nine songs, unless one of those songs is a super long epic! Also, I hope that the final version of Singing 'bout the City is a little bigger sounding. Bombast has always been the Ark's best quality, in my opinion. Best of many.
1. Hanuman 2. Singing ‘bout the City 3. Have you ever heard a Song 4. Wonders of New Amsterdam 5. Do Right to me, Babe 6. Publicity Seeking Rockers 7. I Just Wanna 8. Change of Hearts 9. The Leadership Void
UPDATE: Okay, here's the clip with subtitles. Looks like this may have just been a kind of idea rather than actual songs. Though, as I said, two of the titles have been confirmed by the band. And I thought I remembered them saying that the album wouldn't be country rock. I hope that's right. I can't see country rock being something I'd like from the Ark, though if anyone could do it justice, it'd be them. All in all, a really interesting look into the creative process. I love that he made a little idea book. That's something I would totally do.
What do you think of the new song? Keep in mind it's a demo. The musical direction could completely change. Melody and lyrics sound nice, though.
In case you're not a twitter follower, I want to alert you to some exciting news. The Ark is now streaming their entire catalog on their studio blog in high quality, including all single releases (that means b-sides, remixes, etc). This is the perfect chance to casual fans (as if that can exist) to dive into their collection. Be sure to check out the b-sides, definitely. They've got some great ones (my favorites probably being Opera, Topsy Kaiser, Cygnet to Cygnet and Power to Change, but they're all fantastic - favorites change month to month!).
So have a listen and tell me what you think. I never have too many chances to write about the Ark!
