laratahm

The Norwegian indie-rock band Mall Girl released their sophomore album „Pure Love“ (Jansen Records) on 26th of January. The album release was celebrated in Reimersholme Hotel in Stockholm. The ground floor venue exhibited a cozy, vibrant atmosphere reminiscent of an indie bar, similar to those found in Telliskivi, Tallinn, rather than a typical family hotel setting. I immediately felt like home when I entered the place. I’ve spent much of my young adulthood in venues like these (let me recount Milla, folks club! in Munich and Erinevate Tubade Klubi and Von Krahl in Tallinn).

Rebecka Reinhard opened the concert with mellow guitar sounds and nostalgic lyrics. „Quit Your Day Job“ is a repetitive guitar-jam which peeks at life from angle to angle and calls out pretentious, pitiful people while recognizing your own ambivalence. It’s interesting how the chorus is not repeated by the same lyrics, but instead follows the story. Guitars float foggy-like in the heartbreak anthem „Poison“, inviting the listener to a trance state and feeling the pinches of a lost love. While Reinhard invited the listeners to accompany a sad soul and appreciate the d-i-y sounds of indie music, the band sounded somewhat thin compared to the headliner. Frequencies in the mid range would have added more warmth to Reinhard’s work and would heave the meaning of her melancholic lyrics even more.

Source: Lara Tahm

All the way from Oslo, Mall Girl showcased their second album for the first time in Stockholm. The album contains nine tracks filled with jumpy, light love songs. The album starts in „Inzane“ with an unexpected occurrence, unusual for an indie-rock band: the song starts with an attunement of an orchestra. Perhaps you have to first attune yourself to another person in order to find love. Maybe you’ll find it very cliché-like in the UK at „English Breakfast“, or in bed while unsaid words remain to linger in „All I Should Have Said“.

Source: Lara Tahm

During the whole record, Mall Girl impresses with strong vocals by Bethany Forseth-Reichberg and playfully-virtuosic guitar riffs by Iver Armand Tansether (the Ed Sheeran resemblance is there). Tansether’s performance peaks the most at „Emo Shred“, where his fingers moves faster over the guitar than any rushing mind. The talent of the band amplifies even louder at concert. Soft glimmers of love shine securely, but radiantly in „Glu Myself 2 U“ before the guitars hit in explosion and set the atmosphere on fire. „Inside Out“ contrasts a distorted, crunchy bass with light, airy guitar harmonics. The lines „I just wanna be your baby / Wrap me up and hold me tight“ complement caressingly the melting pot of soft crunch in the track.

Overall, Mall Girl manages to paint a chaotic, but fun picture of love and excites the listener with busy, funky and plucky guitar sounds. The band is on tour in Norway until the end of February.