Moonlight Cove - Orphans Of The Storm
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95%
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Moonlight Cove is a Swedish trio, unfortunately, unknown in Poland, consisting of: Markus Landgren (vocals, lyrics), Mattias Löfroth (synths, lyrics) and Marcus Karlsson (synthesizers). They were formed in 1994 (I can’t believe that’s so long ago!) in Stockholm, they released two albums Orphans of the storm (2008) and Hearts of the World (2012) with Kinetophone Movies & Music.
Fascinated by the second album, I decided to take a look at the first. In a way I'm doing it in gratitude, because I got two versions of the Orphans of the storm from the very Mattias Löfroth.
I admit that the guys have set the level pretty high, because one has a different perspective on the first album, knowing almost by heart the second one, which was - albeit - the first one I heard.
The album opens with I don't wanna go. What do we hear? Single sounds coming from the synthesizer and after a while Marcus' sensual voice. That's enough to win my sympathy. I don't wanna go makes the leg tap out the rhythm on it's own, and the lips (after the second listening) try to sing.
Stay forever away (disturbing title), is, lyrically, definitely my favorite on the album. Maybe a little biased, but... Don't the simplest texts reach us the most easily?
Horizons is a ballad. Horizons, sea, light, castaways, are those kind of key words to this album? Listen to this song, absolutely!
After four songs I came to the conclusion that it's a dance album. This term may foretell a pejorative evaluation. The simplicity of the music is surprising. Does it seem insulting again? About this later, but now let's go further.
On both albums there has to be a terrifyingly bouncy track. On Hearts of the world it's This is the euphoria, and on Orphans of the storm there is Delicate dilemma, so I have a delicate dilemma (sic!), whether the guys do it by accident or on purpose. When you look at the text, than we don't want to jump anymore, because it turns out that there is a problem. I think it's a form of distraction from it.
A hopeless kind of feeling is a half of the album. And that's when I know that the lyrics writer deserves chapeau bas! Each song is full of questions, uncertainty leads me to thoughts on hope buried out there deeply in the songs (and especially in Solider of your war). The rest I leave to you.
Musically, this album is not complicated, it's lively, as already mentioned. I asked whether the term lively is pejorative. After the first listening I was dazzled for a moment. Do I also judge simple words negatively? Well, NO! On the contrary! Why should difficult matters for the heart be said in an intricate way? Why complicate something that is complicated by nature?
I mentioned that I got two versions of this album - the European version and the VIP version to be launched on the U.S. market. They differ not only in appearance, but also gently in contents. European one is packed in a box including a booklet with lyrics and a CD (obvious!) with graphics, for which Moonlight Cove gets a plus from me! The album features a beautiful moon! It presents itself magically.
European version has ten tracks, and the U.S. twelve. Enriched with two remixes of Smile of low and Stay forever away, with which Lazzo toyed brilliantly.
Of course, the albums have different covers. More than the broken ships, the summerhouse (U.S. version) appeals to me, but...
I rate Orphans of the storm at 95%. I don't take away points for music, only for the graphics on the covers, on which they have to - still - work. Not on concept but on execution. However, 95% is very high in my rankings. This score is also for the fact that I often go back to this and the next release, which was not only editorial adventure, but a personal passion.
At the end I will add that the first album is equal to the following.
P. S. Gentlemen are requested to put out more photos presenting their image and - necessarily – to do a concert in our beautiful country.
Tracklist:
1. I don't wanna go
2. Stay forever away
3. Horizons
4. Sile of low
5. Delicate dilemma
6. A hopeless kind of feeling
7. Solider of your war
8. Shadow of your embrance
9. Lady in gray
10. A million dreams
--------------------------------------
11. Smile of low (Lazzo Club Mix)
12. Stay forever away (Lazzo Club Mix)
Other articles:
Fascinated by the second album, I decided to take a look at the first. In a way I'm doing it in gratitude, because I got two versions of the Orphans of the storm from the very Mattias Löfroth.
I admit that the guys have set the level pretty high, because one has a different perspective on the first album, knowing almost by heart the second one, which was - albeit - the first one I heard.
The album opens with I don't wanna go. What do we hear? Single sounds coming from the synthesizer and after a while Marcus' sensual voice. That's enough to win my sympathy. I don't wanna go makes the leg tap out the rhythm on it's own, and the lips (after the second listening) try to sing.
Stay forever away (disturbing title), is, lyrically, definitely my favorite on the album. Maybe a little biased, but... Don't the simplest texts reach us the most easily?
Horizons is a ballad. Horizons, sea, light, castaways, are those kind of key words to this album? Listen to this song, absolutely!
After four songs I came to the conclusion that it's a dance album. This term may foretell a pejorative evaluation. The simplicity of the music is surprising. Does it seem insulting again? About this later, but now let's go further.
On both albums there has to be a terrifyingly bouncy track. On Hearts of the world it's This is the euphoria, and on Orphans of the storm there is Delicate dilemma, so I have a delicate dilemma (sic!), whether the guys do it by accident or on purpose. When you look at the text, than we don't want to jump anymore, because it turns out that there is a problem. I think it's a form of distraction from it.
A hopeless kind of feeling is a half of the album. And that's when I know that the lyrics writer deserves chapeau bas! Each song is full of questions, uncertainty leads me to thoughts on hope buried out there deeply in the songs (and especially in Solider of your war). The rest I leave to you.
Musically, this album is not complicated, it's lively, as already mentioned. I asked whether the term lively is pejorative. After the first listening I was dazzled for a moment. Do I also judge simple words negatively? Well, NO! On the contrary! Why should difficult matters for the heart be said in an intricate way? Why complicate something that is complicated by nature?
I mentioned that I got two versions of this album - the European version and the VIP version to be launched on the U.S. market. They differ not only in appearance, but also gently in contents. European one is packed in a box including a booklet with lyrics and a CD (obvious!) with graphics, for which Moonlight Cove gets a plus from me! The album features a beautiful moon! It presents itself magically.
European version has ten tracks, and the U.S. twelve. Enriched with two remixes of Smile of low and Stay forever away, with which Lazzo toyed brilliantly.
Of course, the albums have different covers. More than the broken ships, the summerhouse (U.S. version) appeals to me, but...
I rate Orphans of the storm at 95%. I don't take away points for music, only for the graphics on the covers, on which they have to - still - work. Not on concept but on execution. However, 95% is very high in my rankings. This score is also for the fact that I often go back to this and the next release, which was not only editorial adventure, but a personal passion.
At the end I will add that the first album is equal to the following.
P. S. Gentlemen are requested to put out more photos presenting their image and - necessarily – to do a concert in our beautiful country.
Tracklist:
1. I don't wanna go
2. Stay forever away
3. Horizons
4. Sile of low
5. Delicate dilemma
6. A hopeless kind of feeling
7. Solider of your war
8. Shadow of your embrance
9. Lady in gray
10. A million dreams
--------------------------------------
11. Smile of low (Lazzo Club Mix)
12. Stay forever away (Lazzo Club Mix)
Other articles:
- Moonlight Cove - Hearts Of The World - 2013-11-09 (Music reviews)
