Songs for the end of the day from Twirlies (Norway) and Sven Wunder (Sweden)

Twirlies (Norway) – Think that I’m in love (single)

It wouldn’t be difficult, listening to Twirlies’ latest single ‘Think that I’m in love’, to imagine that you’ve entered a time warp and been transported back to the 1960s and to a northern English city, say Liverpool or Manchester.

Perhaps that you’re listening to a lost track by Gerry & the Pacemakers or Herman’s Hermits.

The prominent bass line and the little paradiddle in the opening bars alone will do it. And if they don’t, then the title will, for sure.

‘Think that I’m in love’ could be taken straight off The Beatles’ debut album ‘Please please me’ along with ‘Love me do’.

I reckon it’s time for a resurrection of that sort of music. We get Britpop and 80s musical revivals frequently but hardly ever the 60s.

Now having said that, Twirlies say they have a “soft spot for 90s bands” but I’ll stick with my POV for now.

It’s a nice little tune and the harmonising works a treat. My only concern is that the vocalist (Christoffer?) might be a little more forceful, even in soft songs like this and that those harmonies might be tweaked up a little, too.

The trio has a surprising background, having met (the other two are Sara and Sigurd) on a silk screen printing course and their first cooperation was on a visual art project – an album cover, one which sparked their musical inspiration.

Christoffer does, though, bring a solid musical background as a songwriter and producer and a member of numerous bands including Remington Super 60 and Rinjin, both of which I’ve reviewed at one time or another.

They record on Christoffer’s own label, Café Superstar Recordings.

Find them on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twirliespop

Sven Wunder (Sweden) – Daybreak (single/title track from future album)

Sven Wunder (Joel Danell) could be a football manager. It would be a great name for the Swedish national coach.

In reality he is a composer and musician and a Grammy-nominated one to boot.

His new album ‘Daybreak’ will be released on my birthday, 26th September (thanks Sven, I appreciate the gesture) via Piano Piano Records. So good they named it twice. And this is the title track, released as the first single.

He says, “For this album, I went in many different directions to finally end up in a place rooted in cinematic emotions and big orchestral arrangements.” Now that always catches my attention; it is right up my alley.

He’s something of a musical polymath, with a string of records spanning jazz, pop, soul, psychedelia and easy listening since his 2019 debut album, ‘Doğu Çiçekler’ (‘Eastern Flowers’), a little bit of Turkish delight.

He has done something notable though by eschewing personality-led music in favour of allowing the music to be his identity by putting himself “in the background; and the music first.”

His chosen method was the Orville Peck routine of not immediately revealing his identity.

On his fifth album ‘Daybreak’ he takes the listener on a maritime expedition, from dawn to dusk, employing an orchestra to evoke the many submarine experiences.

Does one get a sense of that on this title track?

One most certainly does. There’s a lushness to the recording that will immediately take your mind to any Bond film that was set in the Caribbean or Latin America. To Dr No for example, with Ursula Andress majestically rising out of the waves; and romance is in the air.

And if this track is anything to go by Sven has a myriad of potential syncing options to look forward to. What holiday company trying to attract punters to a beach resort on an aquamarine sea or ocean wouldn’t snatch his hand off to get this track alone backing its TV adverts?

A large number of Swedish jazz musicians who are also close friends feature on the album, while the strings were recorded with the Stockholm Studio Orchestra conducted by Erik Arvinder.

He calls it, “the most ambitious album I’ve made. It’s been a ride.” And little wunder.

Find him on:

Website (label): https://www.pianopianorecords.com/