- by Matt Tucker
- Monday, February 28, 2005
Swedish newcomers Mando Diao have landed on British shores with a no-frills rock ’n’ roll debut album – but my word it is effective.The fact that their musical style is nothing we haven’t already heard before, with close likenesses to The Libertines and Oasis doesn’t really matter, as ‘The Hurricane Bar’ is pure quality. Fronted by the sublime songwriting partnership of Gustaff Noren and Bjorn Dixgard, the album is completely addictive, as each track is played with pure menace. Instantly likeable choruses and catchy Strokes-style guitar melodies are juxtaposed with Noren and Dixgard’s alternating and contrasting vocals. Noren is the new Pete Docherty, adopting the same charisma and post-punk dialect, whilst Dixgard has to be Noel Gallagher’s Swedish double, possessing a distinct vocal similarity.
‘The Hurricane Bar’ is blessed with instant classics, including current single ‘You Cant Steal My Love’, a thunderous anthem of love and obsession. The cold-blooded heartbreaker ‘If I Leave You’ is another high point as you find yourself subconsciously humming the tune hours after listening to it. The album thrives on the unique lyrical talent of Noren and Dixgard, and is best captured on ‘This Dream Is Over’, as you can feel Noren’s heart and soul pouring out as he sings “I can’t see clear without your teardrops in my eyes”.
The band have already toured with The Bravery and Thirteen Senses and are back in the UK in March with The Donnas, and if ‘The Hurricane Bar’ is anything to go by, Mando Diao are certainly a band to look out for in the near future.
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