Art of the Cover - Lacrosse's "Bandages For The Heart" (2009)

Some beautiful idiosyncratic art adorns the fine sophomore album by the  Swedish indie pop band Lacrosse.

As the title suggests, Lacrosse's second album opens the door to darkness. The sound is heavier and more frenetic. 

Lacrosse is still a soundtrack for endless summer nights, but the summer nights are now cold, hungry and desperate for love. 

Or, as lead singer Nina Wähä puts it ... "The album sounds like a cross between a cactus and a kitten"!

Yap, any worries about the potential for sophomore blahs are blasted away with the opening strains of "We Are Kids." Between Waha's pixie-like vocals and the sparkling synth and guitar work that just smacks of the Cure, it's the kind of tune that wedges itself into that weird border territory of adolescence, capturing that heady feeling of anxiousness ("We are kids and we can't decide") bound up with the thrill of discovery.

Similar to fellow Scandinavians I'm from Barcelona, Lacrosse appear to be equipped with a magical, rainbow-tinted force field that gives them license to sound completely childlike and zany and to sound completely believable while they do it. Because honestly, it's just plain weird when "All the Little Things That You Do" suddenly dives into a caveman-style chant  -- but for some reason it works. 

Maybe it's just that Lacrosse seem so genuinely sunny, naïve, and sweet-hearted. They're pretty much irresistible even when they're at their most sappy and heartsick ("I See a Brightness") or painfully earnest ("Bandages for the Heart") -- heck, they even manage to pull off a love song about unicorns and robots ("It's Always Sunday Around Here"). 

If you're in the mood for some clever, uplifting, eccentric bubblegum and synth pop-infused songs, Bandages for the Heart might be just what you're looking for.

Tracklisting

1. We Are Kids
2. You Are Blind
3. All The Little Things That You Do
4. Bandages For The Heart
5. I See A Brightness
6. It's Always Sunday Around Here
7. Song In The Morning
8. My Stop
9. Come Back Song #1
10. Excuses, Excuses
11. What's Wrong With Love?

 
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Art of the Cover - Lacrosse's "Are You Thinking of Me Every Minute of Every Day?" (2014)

Once again, some beautiful idiosyncratic nature based, art adorns an album by the fine Swedish indie pop band Lacrosse.


 The snappily tiled "Are You Thinking of Me Every Minute of Every Day?"  is their third  LP.

Lots of things happened on a personal level for the band after their acclaimed second record "Bandages For The Heart".

One member left the band, some became parents and so forth. After a 4-year long hiatus since album number two the formerly happy go-lucky Swedes return with a new producer, one less member, and a slightly different outlook.

The band needed new input and teamed up with Swedish producer Henrik Svensson, known for his involvement in Swedish luminaries Moneybrother, Existensminimum, Fint Tillsammans and many more.

While Are You Thinking of Me Every Minute of Every Day? has all the bounce and energy of their previous album Bandages for the Heart, it delves into some darker emotions and has a few moments that could even be called thoughtful.

Basically, this time they might require the listener to do a little more thinking and feeling as they careen around the room, propelled by the upbeat indie pop the group plays. The first track, “Don’t Be Scared,” lets you know right away that the band is using different tools this time, with it’s funereal tempo, intertwining emotion-wracked vocals, and synths and bass conjuring up a sad jam session between the Cure and New Order. It builds into typically rambunctious Lacrosse territory by the end, but the mood has been cast.  

Tracklisting

Don't Be Scared

I Told You So (Didn't I?)

I Need Your Heart, I Need Your Soul

50 Percent Of Your Love

If Summer Ends

Are You Thinking Of Me Every Minute Of Every Day

Give You More

The Key

This Is Not A War, No Winners, No Losers

Easter Island 

 
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Art of the Cover - Lacrosse's "This New Year Will Be for You and Me" (2007)

Some beautiful idiosyncratic art adorns the fine debut album by the  Swedish indie pop band Lacrosse.

Tracklisting

1. No More Lovesongs
2. You Can't Say No Forever
3. So Sad
4. Go Ego Go
5. New York Or Alingsas
6. My Plan
7. Let's Get Old
8. I'm Not Afraid
9. (You're On My)Fighting Side
10. Sunshiner
11. Who Will Bring Us Together?
12. This New Year Will Be For You And Me

 
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