Album Assessment: Euro-pop update (Ola, Bjorn Johan Muri, Ace of Base, Infernal)

Oh there has been a smorgasboard of quality releases from Europe this past week or so. I've been itching to write about them, but needed time to give them their due and let them marinate with me for a little while. Or some such shit. However, heed my warning kiddies - it's important not to get behind during this fiercely competitive last quarter of 2010. There is going to be such a high volume of mammoth new albums for your enjoyment, so do please try and keep up :)

The boys:

• Ola ~ Ola: I've always been partial to a bit of Ola, but for some reason he's never been up there with my swedish boypop majesty (Darin, Mans Zelmerlow and now of course Eric Saade - talking of whom, can we please have the excellent Charlie Mason penned Upgrade as a single at somepoint with some deliriously brilliant robotic video?). No, much like Danny and Magnus, he's delighted me with his output but i've never been totally obsessed. Until now. Everything about his latest album comes across like a glorious declaration of independence - the charming versions of Ola on the cover (nerdy Ola is my fave) and the varying styles of music contained within the album that mesh wonderfully together. There's the ones we already know about - soaring, uplifting pop epic Unstoppable, Jason Mraz-esque (a perkier I'm Yours) Overdrive & international-hit-in-waiting All Over The World; alone these would be enough to send your pop sensibilities wild. Yet of course there's more - the Dr Luke produced Riot comes across as a Ke$ha type tune (if Ke$ha had an iota of class of course), and has an absolutely banging chorus. It's effortlessly fun and has massive potential to be a smash single in so many territories, given the right opportunity. YTG is just out and out pop at it's finest and guaranteed to put a smile on your face, if only for the year's most outlandish lyric "hold it in your hand for every bitch to see" (his heart you filthy urchins). Beautiful Rain is one of several ballads, but stands out for being slightly more uptempo and having a beautiful electro-torch song type arrangement that sounds just lovely. Of the other ballads, Still Remember absolutely has to be a single despite being on the Overdrive EP (they really put so many great tunes on that one EP, and this one has really grown on me since my first review!)... A fine fine collection of songs that has elevated Ola from tres bon to magnifico in my eyes :) See Scandipop review/interview also per favor...
• Bjorn Johan Muri - Airwaves: fade to grey because the visage inspired (to an extent) Bjorn solo album is finally here! I sort of feel that Bjorn hasn't had the record company support he deserves after the amazing Yes Man single so I'm pleased an album is finally here (though ridiculously hard to get outside of Norway). Yes Man is still a definite highlight and a deserved success in his native Norway (surprised Joe McElderry hasn't nicked this song too) and his later singles, Circles and Once Upon A Time sit much better within the context of the album than they do on their own. It's like they finally make sense. Bjorn often comes across as a cheeky chav of a performer, but his music is firmly 80s based with big drums and beats weaving through his songs. The title track definitely needs to be a single - and is similar to the increasingly engaging Once Upon A Time (that rap is still entirely needless). There's also a gorgeous ballad duet Nobody Knows which really highlights what a great vocalist Bjorn is. It falls apart a bit towards the end but is bought back together with his pleasing debut single The Beauty Of Who You Are. Certainly a good debut and I'm eager to see how Bjorn develops...

Ola singles: Unstoppable; Overdrive; All Over The World; Riot; Still Remember
Bjorn singles: Beauty Of Who You Are; Yes Man; Circles; Once Upon A Time; Airwaves

The groups:

• Ace of Base - Golden Ratio: Blimey. La base are putting out albums about as quickly as Debbie Gibson (her last one was 2003; theirs 2002). never mind, they are back and overall, it's exciting to have them in the 2010 pop landscape! And not only because Ulf has become a style icon for DILFs everywhere (rar, etc). All For You was/is a delightful reintroduction to the group that perhaps echoes their Beautiful Life sound rather than The Sign, but wonderfully welcome all the same. The (new) girls take most of the vocal responsibility on the album, which is a bit of a shame - i'd have liked it spread around a bit more, but the tracks that work (and there are many) are quite marvelous. If you want the sound of The Sign, then you could do a lot worse than the enticing Bla Bla Bla (lyrically a modern day Reynolds Girls "I'd Rather Jack") or the previously leaked Mr Replay, with it's superb chorus (but dreadful rap). More dance inspired goodness a la All For You comes in the form of the title track (which is a little bit Poker Face/Cascada attempt to do Lady gaga sound, but very good with it - though the pronounciation of ratio leaves something to be desired :P); Black Sea (which is all sorts of immense, a proper pop classic in the making and should absolutely have been the first single, but oh well) and Doreen (another incredibly strong pop creation that simply soars from first listen). I'd have placed Vision In Blue at the end of the album myself - it's a pretty song to end on and quite charming. This could be milked for singles for months. No wonder Simon Curtis cites them as one of his main influences for his upcoming album. Immensicles.
• Infernal ~ Fall From Grace: A bold album title that could backfire a bit, as there's nothing on here that is quite as brilliant as Redefinition or Punk Disco. However, following a couple of listens, it's actually a solid pop album that should sustain their loyal following for a good while yet. Love Is All remains a strong, if not outstanding pop-dance single that bubbles along nicely. New single Alone Together has shades of Abba with Please Yourself era Bananarama and that can only be a good thing. it's a much stronger option than Love Is All and a decent reminder of how great they can be. The rest of the album weaves together a pop tapestry of danceable numbers including the scintillating title track and frankly quite bonkers Weird How You. There are flashes of brilliance in the final four tracks of the album when the duo pull out the stops to complete their journey on a flaming high. Nice to have them back :) More Paw photoshoots please :P

Ace of Base singles ~ All For You; Black Sea; Golden Ratio; Doreen; Vision In Blue
Infernal singles ~ Love Is All; Alone, Together; Bite The Bullet; Fall From Grace