Customer Reviews

Dying to Say This to You

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I decided to check out this unfamiliar band who shared the same heritige as me. (Mind you, this was my intial attraction...but it's like dating...sure they look pretty but it's the mind and the personality that keep you with them - most of the time)

After scanning them under the pre-listening station and after having heard just a 30 second blurp of Painted Numbers, I was in mad mad geek love. The sound was bright and fresh, but yet it still contained a substance that is missing in so many bands these days.

Maja's raspy/sexy voice really brings you in and keeps you there for the whole song.

The intramental aspect is also breathtaking and refreshing.



Another point for the Swedes!

The Sounds have caught a bad rap due in part to Maja, which I don't get, and due to their unoriginality. Few bands are 100% original nowadays, at least The Sounds are fun and easy to listen to. I bought this on a hunch. I had heard all the trash talked and I heard some good things, so in the end, like everything else, it comes down to what your preferences are. The Sounds are probably an acquired taste, which I can understand, and as much as I hate pushing a band on someone, The Sounds seems to have a lot going for them on this release and I think many people will find a lot to appreciate about it.

Song With A Mission starts off the CD wonderfully with a catchy guitar intro and some interesting lyrics acompanying. Tony The Beat has a danceable beat and a great chorus. Painted By Numbers offers a refreshing look back at 80s pop thanks to the intro, and as always, Maja drives the song. Night After Night is *gasp* a ballad. If you hate Maja's voice you'll hate this song. Even I, a fan of her, get a bit agitated with this song from time to time, but it does sound sincere and the backing piano is a nice touch. Hurt You gets back into the 80s pop kind of feel, and is prodiminently sung by a male. Much Too Long is yet another standout which follows in the vein of Song With A Mission and Painted By Numbers respectively.

My favorite songs are Song With A Mission, Tony The Beat, Painted By Numbers, Much Too Long, and Running Out Of Time. The Sounds are by far the most invigorating band I've heard recently and revitalized my hunger for new bands. Compared to Living In America, I'd say the two even each other out. Living In America has it's moments that shock and awe and so does Dying To Say This To You, so the curse of the sophomore slump doesn't effect The Sounds on this outing.

I enjoy an original sound just as much as the next person, but for some reason this band has really grabbed me. I LOVE their sound, and while admittedly not the most original band in all of their lyrics, I can't stop listening to either one of their albums! I love it! IF you don't like it, don't listen to it!

The Sounds are a fairly unpretentious band - it seems like they are just trying to capture some of the fun, catchy feel of 80's pop. They do a fair job at this - there are some decent hooks scattered about DTSTTY, and compared to a lot of the stuff getting airplay nowadays, the Sounds do stand out. Overall, it's a pretty solid and consistent offering - "Queen of Apology", "Ego", "Painted By Numbers" are all good songs (as are most of the tracks), and Maja Ivarsson has attitude to spare.

People seem to like to compare Ivarsson to various 80's songstresses. Forget the comparisons to Missing Persons - Dale Bozzio's appearance stood out even during a time of extreme looks, and she was a...unique vocal talent. Ivarsson - while certainly good-looking - is not that distinctive. Perhaps comparisons can be made between Ivarsson and Debbie Harry, but I don't think that the Sounds (as a band) can be seriously considered to be in the same league as Blondie (as a band). Musically, if I had to compare the Sounds to an 80's band or performer I'd say that Kim Wilde is far closer to the mark...or Scandal, perhaps. Both had their share of hits and catchy tunes, but neither was destined for any kind of greatness.

Perhaps all such comparisons are unfair and a waste of time; perhaps it's unfair to expect every band to aspire to classic status or greatness. Maybe it would be best to just take the Sounds and "Dying To Say This To You" for what they are - fun, upbeat, and reasonably catchy.

Hey, if you loved their first cd you may end up going deaf from repeated plays of this one. Wow, I love this band. Until time travel is actually possible this may be the closest you'll get to the Blondie sound circa 1978. I love that synth sound. This enhanced cd also includes a very cool live video of the song "S.O.U.N.D.S."
If you get the chance, see them live. They do not disappoint.

So I came across a song by the sounds on a Sound Track and wasnt too sure if I liked it. I found it catchy enough to purchase this album and I was/am very happy with it.

Running out of Turbo and Painted Numbers are both brilliant songs. I wouldnt go so far to call The Sounds a stunning band but the music is catchy and I find it great for Summer driving and long trips over the mountains.

Overall this cd gets just as much play as my H.I.M CDs do which is quite frequently.

I would like to say that Maja Ivarsson and the Sounds are excellent. I think that they are good but I have heard this before. The music is what dance punk should sound like: up tempo, intense and of course- loud and in your face. Is Ivarsson like Pat Benetar? No. She is more like Dale Bozio (except Ivarsson can sing), the girls from The Raincoats, Bush Tetras, and Deborah Harry. Ivarsson's ripping vocals bring back the old women punk rockers who were constantly played on college radio stations across the country. Queen of apologies is a perfect example. The energy of that song will make teens close their bedroom doors and dance until the ceiling caves in. Turn it up and have fun.

Another reviewer said "Do not buy this album... not if you value good music. And your hard-earned dollars." But if you look at his review he also bought "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" by Panic! At the Disco and "If Only You were Lonely" by Hawthorne Heights. So his comment isn't saying much for good taste in music.

He also stated "They sound like a bunch of whiney teenage feminists." Lets refer back to his other cd purchases that day...Panic at the Disco and Hawthorne Heights. Lets not talk about whiney teenage angst.

The sounds are a very good band and worth checking out.

You can really feel the energy pulsating out of your headphones from the new album from this dynamic group of Swedes. "Dying to Say This To You" is a much stronger album from their debut release "Living in America." No rest spots can be found in this album as it is filled with keyboards galore, call and response, and just overall Swedish sass that is accustomed to this band.

I just bought this album today and it is great and on par with their first album.The songs Queen of Apology, Painted by Numbers, and Ego are especially great.