Scenic View: …from the shadow of city lights

Almost exactly two years ago, I met Swedish band Scenic View for an interview. To refresh your memory, there were talks of their origins, sibling rivalries, and of course, Twitter. We also may have gotten into the upcoming album they had planned to release later in 2011, yet, we never heard from our friends across the world until last week. After remaking the album several times, …from the shadow of city lights is finally finished!

Unlike Scenic View’s 2009 record, InSight, the collective sound on this record is a stray from the airiness of Franz Ferdinand. Like fine wine, the years have been good to the band, enriching their musicianship. The tracks are multilayered, and highly reminiscent of 80s rock. Guitars take their own spotlight, wailing in harmony as a being of its own. And ballads are energetic despite their slow tempo.

“The Weary Kind,” introduces us to the aged Scenic View. The song harbors poetic irony with the lyrics, “what keeps me alive, kills me inside,” briefly reminding me of the writing found on a Dredg album [“Ireland”]. As the songs progress, they become more lyrically interesting. “Eight Days,” is a great example, although, it might never quite settle right with American mainstream radio after the Sandy Hook tragedy in December of 2012. However, it is no different than listening to Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks.”

….from the shadow of city lights  is emotionally mesmerizing. The music accompanies the melodies hauntingly well. Although this is a far stray from a pop record, the choruses remain an echo in the memory; you hardly realize yourself learning the lyrics until you’re actually singing them aloud.

For those in search of a raw, genuine rock, Scenic View could be your new Poison. …from the shadow of city lights is now available for purchaseand can be heard on Spotify radio.