The State of Samuel, Here Come the Floods

reviewed by dave heaton

I find it hard to connect to the Swedish pop/rock band The State of Samuel’s third album Here Come the Floods on a lyrical level – no matter how many times I listen, the words just float right past me. But that’s probably just because I’m getting a kick out of the catchy melodies and the spunky way they’re played. Essentially this is 28 minutes of hooks, contained within 12 songs that never fail to remind me of what the Apples in Stereo sounded like at their heigh. There’s some trumpet, cello and piano, but mostly these songs are played sparely – that is, directly – via the usual rock and roll instruments. And it really won’t take more than a listen or two before you find yourself singing or humming along, which sometimes is all you need.

{www.humblebeerecordings.com, www.totalgaylordrecords.com}