Loney, Dear – Dear John
January 30, 2009
Swedish artist Loney, Dear (Emil Svanängen) marks his third international release with Dear John, an often sublime collection of music that merges folk, pop and lush vocal harmonies, often overlaid with electronica. The end result sounds something like Elliott Smith might’ve sounded like had he traded guitars in for synthesizers, which is not to say that Loney, Dear is any way a knockoff of Smith, but rather that they share in common a propensity for gorgeous, multilayered musical arrangements coupled with an often stark lyrical viewpoint. And I will also add that the best of Loney, Dear’s songs are so instantly engaging that their melodies will remain lodged in your brain for days to come, but I assure you this is a good thing. Chalk up another winner from the Swedish musical scene, which has lately become the source of some of the most creative and engaging pop and rock being released today. Standout cuts: “Airport Surroundings,” “Harsh Words,” “Under A Silent Sea” and “Violent.”
This Is Just A Modern Rock Blog 