Those Dancing Days - 'In Our Space Hero Suits' (Wichita) Released 13/10/08

The term twee is one synonymous with indie bands- from its Sarah Records beginnings via Belle and Sebastian to the modern day with Los Campesinos! From the early 90’s there has been a cutesy innocent side to bands that has stood independently from the drink, drugs and rebellion- now come 2008’s entry into the twee scrapbook with Sweden’s Those Dancing Days. Their sound is very much in the twee bracket and your writer has been anticipating this album for many months.

Those Dancing Days bypass trends and fad spotting instead to simply mine pop classics and cover them in a layer of melody unparalleled by any of their contemporaries. The bands singles leading up the LP have been nothing short of stellar either: ‘Hitten’, ‘Run, Run’ and ‘Home Sweet Home’ are a hat trick of wonderful Northern Soul influenced giddy pop and boded well for the album. However it seems that those songs may be Those Dancing Days finest material and a whole load of filler has been recorded to surrounded the hits.

Audaciously beginning with a trumpeted fan fare the album kicks off in a grand fashion. The parping is followed by the most single worthy song on the album ‘Falling In Fall’- it encompasses the bands two biggest assets, Linnea Jönsson soul packed voice and Cissi Efraimsson Animal-esque drums. These two facets drive ‘In Our Space Hero Suits’ and create the axis on which the album rotates. ‘Run Run’ and ‘Hitten’ are dispensed of pretty quickly, the former a whimsical tale of a lost Summers afternoon, the latter an existential deconstruction of growing up, both are wonderful fizzy gems. Sadly nothing that follows scales those highs and much of the album merely reverts to type and conformity. ‘Kids’, ‘Shuffle’ and ‘Actionman’ all pass by without incident or impact- neither good nor bad. It’s a shame as well because when ‘Those Dancing Days’ comes around (Self titled track) it’s hyper synth riffs and upbeat energy really lift proceedings and show a different side to the band.

Its important to state here that Those Dancing Days are very young (Average age 18) and have the makings for a fantastic future here. Once they fully mature into the song writers they promise to be then that is when their full potential will be achieved. Clearly dreamers and romantics, Those Dancing Days' time will come.