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mandodiao goodtimes
Artist: Mando Diao
Title: Good Times
Genre: Pop / Indie
Release Date: 12th May 2017
Label: BMG Rights Management


Album Review

MANDO DIAO is a Swedish band, founded back in 1998. Two years ago the lead singer refused to "lead this life" anymore and left the band. Not every act would survive such a break up, but this one did. Not only survived, but also recorded a brilliant album, full of hope, love and the best vibes. Having such an inner power and a great will to live and keep moving, a person is able to touch a soul of somebody else. And having five of such strong handsome personalities in the same band MANDO DIAO can move the mountains, which they do.

The first thing you hear playing ‘Good Times’ is "All the wars we fought, all the love we lost / It won’t break us." This acoustic piano prelude sets the atmosphere for the whole album. And even if the composition of the album becomes louder and faster with each next track, ‘Break Us’ has the main message of the whole work. And as the result the opening track is as powerful as any other up-tempo single from this record. Also this is a perfect way to get familiar with heartbreakingly beautiful Björn Dixgård's vocals. Because his mild vocals with touch of hoarseness are so tempting, you need a slow start, not to get drawn in awesomeness. The following tracks ‘All the Things’, ‘Good Times’ and ‘Shake’ bring the mood of the record to the next level like a high-speed elevator. All three became singles and were made into a video-trilogy. Each of these tracks and all together they are the anthems of arising. "You got me fucked up / Stripped down to my bones / But I’m breathing," - and it seems to be an ultimate recipe to deal with the shit around you.

Each track however has its own character. ‘All the Things’ is more rock, the vocals are pretty harsh and the melody is more aggressive. ‘Good Times’ has a thinner and more fragile structure, almost a-capella-like the vocals create the melody, and the rest is pure rhythmic elements. ‘Shake’ is rather a pop anthem, with gospel and pretty catchy chorus. In the middle the record slows down through the acoustic voice and guitar only ‘Hit Me With A Bottle’ and the soul-ballad ‘Brother’. But before the final touching mild ‘Without Love’ there are another couple of danceable tracks, like the most decadence disco song ‘Dancing All the Way to Hell’ or ‘One Two Three.’ Basically, MANDO DIAO has a standard instruments-set of an indie-band: guitars, bass and drums. However, they use much wider and sometimes really surprising details, like strings on ‘Without Love’, gospel on ‘Good Times’ and ‘Shake’, quite a convincing guitar-solo on ‘Watch Me Now’ and acoustic tracks - which makes the record bright like a patchwork, but still very harmonic. And the vocals demand a special attention.

Having a good time in the fucked up world - this is the motto, the mood and the message of the current MANDO DIAO's album. Whether it's about politics and Trump or lead singer and friend leaving the band after nineteen years, these Swedish musicians seem to always find a way and a new singer. The ‘Good Times’ is a twelve steps program for making your life better and brighter, in other words it's an optimistic, hopeful and powerful record, you don't want to miss.

VIDEO
https://youtu.be/uAfqyrMele8
https://youtu.be/iQZ__v-aXoc
https://youtu.be/uyIYZP1EILY


Tracklist

01. Break Us
02. All The Things
03. Good Times
04. Shake
05. Money
06. Watch Me Now
07. Hit Me With A Bottle
08. Brother
09. Dancing All The Way To Hell
10. One Two Three
11. Voices On The Radio
12. Without Love


Line-up

Björn Dixgård - Vocals, guitar
Carl-Johan Fogelklou - Bass
Jens Siverstedt - Guitar
Daniel Haglund - Keyboard
Patrik Heinkipieti - Drums


Website

www.mandodiao.com / www.facebook.com/mandodiaomusic/ www.twitter.com/mando_diao / www.instagram.com/mandodiaomusic


Cover Picture

mandodiao goodtimes


Rating

Music: 10
Sound: 10
Total: 10 / 10


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