You’ve probably all used a dimmer switch in the past. That piece of engineering genius that, when dimmed, can create an atmosphere perfect for romance and then, when turned in the opposite direction, is usually the only way to find the back of your girlfriends earing. Well, this analogy is perfect for describing the new ‘Team Me’ album ‘Blind as Night’ (Propeller Recordings – 26th January 2015).
The ‘Blind as Night’ switch has been turned as far to the right as humanly possible. If it were powering a light-bulb then it would be streaming blinding light throughout your front room, causing one to shield their eyes for fear of retina damage. The LP is loud, brash and unapologetically frenetic. It’s an Indie-pop melting pot that rarely pauses for breath, but instead thunders from one glorious track to another.
The Norwegian band pick up where they left us in 2011 with their debut ‘To the Treetops!’ This isn’t meant as a criticism as the format clearly worked once so why re-invent the wheel? This time around the overall song writing is much stronger though. From opening track ‘Riding My Bicycle’ to ‘F is For Faker’ the melodies, and sometimes overwhelming velocity of the tracks, fuddles your senses. It’s invigorating, fist punching music that should only be listened to stood vertically.
The beautiful ‘Le Sound’ offers a momentary break from the chaos. Ironically this medium paced track is the stand-out on the album. It’s a well thought out and produced song that gives the listener a brief moment of rest-bite before re-joining the chaos.
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The comparison to Polyphonic Spree is an obvious one and featured heavily in reviews for their debut LP. However, ‘Team Me’ have created their own niche here. Sure, there are huge anthemic tracks throughout but it’s their personal touches (like the introduction of a children’s choir and their unconventional recording locations) that make this unequivocally their sound.
‘Blind as Night’ is out on the 25th January 2015, via Propeller Recordings.
The full track-listing for ‘Blind as Night’ is as follows…
Riding My
Kick & Curse
Man-Eating Machine
F is for Faker
Le Sound
Did We Lose Something Here
Are You Still in Love
Steven
The All Time High
Blind As Night
Or, see the band live at one of these venues…
Jan 16 – Folken, Stavanger
Jan 23 – St.Croix, Fredrikstad
Jan 24 – Ankerske Scene, Fauske
Jan 28 – Gøteborg Film Festival, Gothenburg
Jan 31 – Skala, Haugesund
Feb 04 – Kultursenteret Isak, Trondheim
Feb 06 – Samfunnet, Rena
Feb 07 – Gregers, Hamar
Feb 18 – Deaf Institute, Manchester
Feb 19 – London Oslo, London
Feb 20 – Botanique Rotonde, Saint-Josse-Ten-Noode
Feb 21 – La Flèche d’Or, Paris
Feb 22 – Bibelot, Dordrecht
Feb 23 – Paradiso Kleine Zaal, Amsterdam
Feb 25 – Knust, Hamburg
Feb 26 – Kassablanca, Jena
Feb 27 – Beatpol, Dresden
Feb 28 – Lido, Berlin
Mar 01 – Gebaude 9, Cologne
Mar 03 – Gleis 22, Munster
Mar 04 – E-Werk, Erlangen
Mar 05 – Karlstorbahnhof, Heidelberg
Mar 06 – Schonschon, Mainz
Mar 07 – Between The Beats Festival, Lorrach
Mar 09 – Ampere, Munich
Mar 10 – Magnolia, Milan
Mar 11 – Bogen F, Zurich
Mar 12 – Saumarkettheatre, Feldkirch
Mar 13 – Rhiz, Vienna
Mar 14 – Lucerna Music Bar, Prague
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