Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream

The Swedes.  Again.  I know-I can’t help myself.  But record label Labrador’s latest product is the bold-talkin’, sweet-playin’ pop collective Irene with Long Gone Before Summer.  Although the band’s sound is something more like  summery indie pop, Irene also teeters on a sentimental autumnal rock sound that seems to be ushering the fast approaching season of Fall.  And so, there doesn’t seem to be a better soundtrack for these days than the songs on Long Gone Before Summer, a colorful array of leaves that float effortlessly to the ground for us commoners to energetically collect and enjoy.  Irene’s vocals are somewhat B-52′s like, in that they lend a somewhat lighter mood to even the more serious tracks (see “Out of Tune”).  And for the most part, this debut long player is just an-end-of-summer delight to be enjoyed as that fading purple sun dips below the horizon of some Scandinavian seaside (say that 5 times fast).

So go and get yo’self a copy of Long Gone Before Summer.

Listen to “Little Lovin’” (4.75/5)

Listen to “September Skies” (4.6/5)

Want more?   “Baby I Love Your Way” and “By Your Side“

From the Swedish troubadour extraordinaire comes the video for “Sipping on the Sweet Nectar”, featuring Jens flying a plane. Wait ’til the end of the video–it’s worth it.