Shout Out Louds

Add Date: February 16

Artist: Shout Out Louds

Album: Work

Label: Merge

Genre: Rock, indie pop

Comments: In theory, it should be hard to be passionate about Shout Out Louds' music. After all, there are plenty of bands doing really fine indie pop these days, particularly from the band's homeland of Sweden. However, there's something to be said for mastery of one's craft, and these guys have had it going since their stunning 2005 debut Howl Howl Gaff Gaff. Work is their second record for Merge--following up on 2007's quite good Our Ill Wills--and it's their best, most complete LP yet.

As is the case with any good band, Shout Out Louds can appeal to lots of other acts--Jens Lekman, Camera Obscura, Peter Bjorn & John, Ra Ra Riot, New Order--without sounding exactly like any of them. Adam Olenius' songwriting is top of the line, and his emotive-yet-not-emo vocals ebb and flow through the album's 10 tracks. Like Lekman, Olenius has been living in Melbourne recently, and with the rest of the band scattered around the globe, Work was put together piece-by-piece. But the band's proficiency, combined with Phil Ek's production, eliminates any trace of disjointedness.

In short, this is one of 2010's best pop records. Start with "Walls," "1999," "Fall Hard" and "Show Me Something New."