Komeda
The Genius of...
[Minty Fresh]
Rating: 6.6
'Genius' is always kind of a strong word to go around slapping on the cover of your CDs, and
in Komeda's case, it's far from the truth. Which is not to say it's all that bad.
The musik is like crossing the Doors and Devo
though what's on this disc would roll Jim Morrison right over in his grave.
More obvious than those influences, though, are the ones drawn from the
space age bachelor pad music of 1996. These kids are gonna go crazy getting compared
to Stereolab
but it's shocking how much the two bands sound alike. Komeda is, perhaps, a little
less moogy, but surprisingly more melody-focused. After a listen or two to any of the
songs of The Genius of Komeda, you'll wonder if you haven't known these songs
your whole life.
The record's highlights are the musical mishmash of the opening track, "More Is More,"
"Boogie Woogie/ Rock'N'Roll," "Light O' My Life," and "If," even though very few
songs are truly disappointing.
If that Swedish music scene makes you cream your jeans and you can't deny the appeal
of a 7/8 time signiture, Komeda is definitely for you. Otherwise, you're really not
gonna wanna buy it.
-Ryan Schreiber