Get out your saffron scarves and your paisley ties for the return of the Figurines youll need them. Theyve left behind the jangly 90s bounciness of 2005s Skeleton in favour of a bigger, more complex psych pop sound. On When The Deer Wore Blue, theyve found inspiration in equal parts from the Beach Boys, the Zombies and the Haight Ashbury golden years. Suffice to say that those Deadheads in Golden Gate Park would have approved of opener "Childhood Verse you can almost picture the fog machines and light show. But as album standout "Good Old Friends demonstrates, this is more than a nostalgic love-in styles are blended smartly, the mood is tightly controlled and melody is more the medium than main attraction. Clearly, this album is a major step up for the Figurines, both in ambition and execution. The array of organs, interweaving harmonies and echo-y production will attest to these Danes willingness to experiment in the studio, even if they lose their way on occasion the seven-and-a-half-minute "Drunkards Dream comes to mind immediately. Still, considering what a drastic change of course this is for them, theyve navigated it capably, discovering some certifiable pop gems along the way.
Describe what kind of feel you were going for while recording the album.
Singer Christian Hjelm: Well, many of us are big Beach Boys fans and fans of bands like Harpers Bizarre, Sagittarius, the Zombies and the Beatles. That kind of music has always been there for all of us in the band and we kind of went a little further back to those roots. We didnt want to make a retro album. That was very important to us. We wanted it to sound like 2007 even though its inspired by other decades.
Theres so much great pop music coming out of Scandinavia these days. Wheres it all coming from?
I can definitely feel that within the last five or six years there have been a lot of changes in Scandinavia and Demark especially, a younger generation has come and taken over. There are new bands popping up every week almost. Theres just a different mentality, like people believe in themselves. They seriously didnt ten years ago. Theres this wish to do something creative that you can really feel here. Its kind of inspiring.
(Paper Bag)Describe what kind of feel you were going for while recording the album.
Singer Christian Hjelm: Well, many of us are big Beach Boys fans and fans of bands like Harpers Bizarre, Sagittarius, the Zombies and the Beatles. That kind of music has always been there for all of us in the band and we kind of went a little further back to those roots. We didnt want to make a retro album. That was very important to us. We wanted it to sound like 2007 even though its inspired by other decades.
Theres so much great pop music coming out of Scandinavia these days. Wheres it all coming from?
I can definitely feel that within the last five or six years there have been a lot of changes in Scandinavia and Demark especially, a younger generation has come and taken over. There are new bands popping up every week almost. Theres just a different mentality, like people believe in themselves. They seriously didnt ten years ago. Theres this wish to do something creative that you can really feel here. Its kind of inspiring.
