The Sounds
Living in America

(Scratchie/New Line)

First Appeared at The Music Box, February 2004, Volume 11, #2

Written by John Metzger

Is rock really dead? Or at the very least, is the genre entirely bereft of new ideas? Based on the current surge of hot button bands, it sure seems as if a large portion of the music business is set on regurgitate. Granted, the entire foundation of rock ’n‘ roll was built upon borrowed concepts, but the longer the genre exists, the more it simply appears to be running over the same old ground, circling endlessly in a slow spiral of death.

The latest round of garage rock acts simply furthers this notion as groups like The Hives, The Strokes, and The White Stripes channel ’60s artists such as the Rolling Stones, The Stooges, The Who, The Kinks, and Cream with perhaps a touch of ’70s punk and ’90s grunge thrown in for good measure. True, all of these "up and coming" ensembles are quite good at what they do. However, that doesn’t make them any more original, and unless a few of them come up with something truly unique and different, they’re destined to live in the shadows of their predecessors until they finally are tossed aside and forgotten.

And what could possibly follow this latest garage-rock trend? Believe it or not, it’s another blast through New Wave — that strangely diverse style of music that followed punk and was kept alive long after it should have died, thanks to the advent of MTV. Twenty odd years later, the genre is back in full force, and this time, it’s being ushered in by a band from Sweden called The Sounds. On its 12-song debut Living in America, the group delivers its music with all the playful pop-fueled energy and synth-laden ferocity of Missing Persons, The Go-Gos, Kim Wilde, and Blondie. Not surprisingly, the problem with the album is that it, too, retreads rather than reinvents a style. Although, it makes quite a ruckus, it is proffered without the slightest pretense of an attempt to be something more. It’s hyped as the next big thing when it’s really the next old thing. That’s ok, let’s just call it what it is: a fun-filled and fiery romp through the past. The bigger question, however, is if rock music continues traversing its current path, just who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 25 years? Is anyone really making a genuine difference?

Living in America is available
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Ratings

1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 2004 The Music Box