19-10-2018, 21:06
THE LAST HURRAH!! – Los Angeles
![[Image: MI0004491825.jpg?partner=allrovi.com]](https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0004/491/MI0004491825.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
Sophistipop meets alt/rock meets a teeny touch of cabaret, meets some big jazzy brass. I really don’t know what this is but ‘they’ say it’s alt, so here we are!!
A gentleman by the name of Hans Petter Gundersen leads this smörgåsbord of musos who were rustled up for the occasion. I’m not sure how everyone fits in, but it would appear there’s a mostly Norwegian cast plus American vocalist, Maesa Pullman who lends her vocals and lyrics – HPG is the music man. It took a second listen to get to grips with the whole thing. I think the album is smartly arranged and reasonably slick, and although I know nothing of any of these musicians, I’m sure people in the northern climes do. There’s a little touch of something old fashioned here – a kind of gentility which is quite appealing IMHO, although there’s nothing going on that isn’t right up to date as well, paradoxically! There are no vocal or other gymnastics, except for the sax which takes centre stage now and then, just nice clean singing and cool music. Doesn’t make the earth move, but is an intelligent, accomplished set of songs. I’m really glad there are these options out there, a pearl or two hidden in the swill.
I wasn’t crazy about “Number Seven” which got a bit manic, and then I was surprised by the final track which has distinct country/Americana leanings. (I’m not sure how Los Angeles comes into it – presumably there is a homage here but I’m not clever enough to pinpoint how that happens.)
And after all that, I would describe this track as Lana del Rey x the B52’s, lol! That bassline is so much like the line from “Planet Claire”, albeit considerably slowed down … (The fellow on the slide with the funereal sideboards is none other than the head honcho, HPG himself. Also, the sound switches temporarily part of the way through the clip which is a little disconcerting).
Sophistipop meets alt/rock meets a teeny touch of cabaret, meets some big jazzy brass. I really don’t know what this is but ‘they’ say it’s alt, so here we are!!
A gentleman by the name of Hans Petter Gundersen leads this smörgåsbord of musos who were rustled up for the occasion. I’m not sure how everyone fits in, but it would appear there’s a mostly Norwegian cast plus American vocalist, Maesa Pullman who lends her vocals and lyrics – HPG is the music man. It took a second listen to get to grips with the whole thing. I think the album is smartly arranged and reasonably slick, and although I know nothing of any of these musicians, I’m sure people in the northern climes do. There’s a little touch of something old fashioned here – a kind of gentility which is quite appealing IMHO, although there’s nothing going on that isn’t right up to date as well, paradoxically! There are no vocal or other gymnastics, except for the sax which takes centre stage now and then, just nice clean singing and cool music. Doesn’t make the earth move, but is an intelligent, accomplished set of songs. I’m really glad there are these options out there, a pearl or two hidden in the swill.
I wasn’t crazy about “Number Seven” which got a bit manic, and then I was surprised by the final track which has distinct country/Americana leanings. (I’m not sure how Los Angeles comes into it – presumably there is a homage here but I’m not clever enough to pinpoint how that happens.)
And after all that, I would describe this track as Lana del Rey x the B52’s, lol! That bassline is so much like the line from “Planet Claire”, albeit considerably slowed down … (The fellow on the slide with the funereal sideboards is none other than the head honcho, HPG himself. Also, the sound switches temporarily part of the way through the clip which is a little disconcerting).
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
