Silverbullit

While we might already be familiar with Sweden as a home to great pop music, Silverbullit make their trade in rock'n'roll intensity - not necessarily a loud extroverted intensity, more like that inner burning. Whereas countrymen the Hellacopters pay homage to one style of garage rock'n'roll, Silverbullit embody so many great elements of rock history, they manage to transcend all of their reference points. At moments the band rides the psych-trance wave of Spacemen 3 and My Bloody Valentine, while others find them pulling out the best elements of '80s British post-punk, like early U2 and even Howard Devoto's Magazine. A strong thread of American punk rock also resonates with the spirit of Iggy's Stooges and Tom Verlaine's Television rearing their head. The motoric percussive grooves of Krautrockers Can and Neu! also make their presence felt. However, it's Silverbullit's gently building melodies of warm keyboard-drenched analogue tones and complex arrangements that provide the binding thread throughout Citizen Bird, the band's second album. The only criticism that could be levelled is that this recording can often sound dated. But if this album comes off like a throwback to the '80s, it would most certainly be a classic of the era.