The Shout Out Louds are back with their sophomore full-length album, Our Ill Wills, with stronger instrumentals, poppier melodies and infectious rhythms.
The Swedish quintet collaborated with Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John to produce the new alternative indie-pop album, noticeably influenced by Yttling's musical sensibilities.
The band has introduced new, more eclectic instruments yet has maintained a sound that is undeniably accessible. The production of the album, though extensive, is also essential to the overall effect of the music.
The band's sound, to an extent, appears to be dependent upon studio production. The track "Hard Rain" is a perfect example of this. It would be hard to imagine the track's breathy synthesizer, ghostly vocals and blaring crash cymbal blending together as well in a live context.
The album starts strong with the percussion-heavy single "Tonight I Have to Leave It," setting the tone for the energy of the following songs. The influence of 1980s Brit-pop is extremely prevalent in the juxtaposition of upbeat sounds and self-deprecating lyrics. Adam Olenius sings, "Don't come up to me and say you like it / It's better if you say you hate it / That's the truth exactly." His self-pity seems almost ironic in the context of the fast drumbeat and jumpy collection of various stringed instruments. Nostalgia and a longing for lost loves is a theme prevalent throughout the album. In "You Are Dreaming" Olenius croons, "She fell in love with an old friend from school / But no, you didn't find out did you?" The track features a darker melody and lower base tone, in keeping with the subject matter.
"Impossible," likewise, is a moody tune. Not as upbeat as the other songs, it contains a melancholy breakdown halfway through the piece and features commiserating lyrics: "Your love is something I cannot remember." The use of a banjo and hollow drumbeats creates an end-of-summer feel, returning the listener to carefree, sunny days. The feeling is reflected in Adam's lyrics: "I don't want to feel like it's an end of a summer."
During the band's hiatus between the production of their first and second albums, their travels seem to have influenced their songs, as seen in the tracks "South America" and "Normandie." "South America" even begins with a blatant Latin American guitar melody, both in rhythm and tone. While "Normandie" does not clearly express a French musical influence, lyrics about the beaches of Normandy seem to have been inspired by experiences in the country. Moreover, the album art proudly displays the band's worldwide visits and new adventures.
The title track, "Ill Wills," is, interestingly, the shortest song on the album and entirely instrumental. It's as if the band is trying to keep secrets from the listener, as there is no clear explanation of the purpose of the title or the titular track itself. The apparent soft, sweet melody created by a glockenspiel runs paradoxically counterpoint to the name "Ill Wills" and should spark curiosity among listeners.
The Shout Out Louds' ability to infuse complex rhythms while maintaining a mellow atmosphere makes Our Ill Wills an entirely unique experience. The Shout Out Louds are able to manipulate rhythm and melody to control how much energy a song has, regardless of the actual tempo. Fans of Interpol, Modest Mouse and The Cure (especially because of "Normandie" and "Time Left for Love") are bound to enjoy Ill Wills.
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