Customer Reviews

Hurricane Bar

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

How did such ostensibly nice Swedish working-class lads come up with a name like Mando Diao? To an English-speaking-skewed mind like my own, it's a bit misleading, and before listening, I figured them for a Portuguese pop act, or a Brazilian rock band. Well, it'll be a cold day in hell before these guys warm up for the Gypsy Kings, and if they ever do, I hope that a few ambulances are at hand, because they will leave the crowd shell-shocked. Mando Diao are the latest (and one of the best) bands in the recent onslaught of fresh, pure rock and roll coming from the outposts of Europe. I don't want to compare them to the Strokes, the Hives, or Jet, although the temptation is strong. There's a bit of the Clash meets Generation X about their sound, more than a touch of Oasis about their pub-based image, and even a hint of the Beatles in their one/two punch of dual singer/songwriters. Too many new bands determine their posture before they develop a sound, but Mando Diao sound as if they are doing what comes naturally, and having some fun while doing it.
Hurricane Bar progresses with a wild abandon that suits the album title. The sound is youthful energy, slightly naïve but also self-aware. The lyrics are almost totally indecipherable - and even the lyric sheet doesn't help much, since the words rarely make much literal sense - but there are substantial hooks all over the record, and melodies that suck you in and don't let go. I don't know what song will be chosen, but "Clean Town" ought to be the first single, since it fires on all cylinders and does the best job of summing up the band's unique way of making a train wreck sound melodic and fun. Pardon my filthy mind, but "Down in the Past" (one of the few tunes where I could discern some meaning to the words) could (and should) do just as well, provided conservative radio stations don't pick up the same sexual allusions that I do.
Although most of the CD rocks like a garage band on steroids, there are moments of genuine diversity that proves them to be more than a one trick pony. "Added Family" is a moody tune that suggests vintage Robyn Hitchcock, while "All My Senses" features an organ break that makes cheeky reference to the Doors' "Light My Fire". There's even a charming acoustic tune called `Ringing Bells" which helps to pace the record quite nicely.
Today's pop charts might indicate that the glory days of rock and roll are long over, but the current upsurge in talented, hard-hitting bands indicates otherwise. At present, the movement is limited to those with `alternative' tastes, but bands like Mando Diao sound destined for fame and fortune. Who knows, maybe this Swedish band with a Portuguese-sounding name might be the next in line to prove, once again, that rock and roll will never really die. A- Tom Ryan

I loved their first LP and highly recommend it. That said, when I saw they had a new one coming out, I pre-ordered it and I was going to be happy if it was as good as the last. They've gotten better. This cd is fantastic. I have to admit I'm a fan of all these retro-rock bands recalling sounds of the 60s (The Strokes), 70s (White Stripes), and now 80s (The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Arcade Fire, and the new Modest Mouse cd). Mando Diao would be somewhere in the 60s and 70s. But having lumped them with all those other bands and claiming their association with past decades, I still say they have a sound all their own and it rocks. I just can't believe we need a bunch of Swedes to show the US and the UK how it's done.

The Editorial Review (provided by Amazon above) is EXTREMELY misleading when it chides Mando Diao for lacking creativity. As a musician, a music enthusiast, and a music fan, I have to say this album (and it's predacessor) have convinced me that a few bands are still in the business of making beautiful music for fun. Perhaps the overdriven Gibson through an old vox amp reminds some people of other bands...but to assert that Mando Diao are copying the Kinks is a joke and shows an amateur bent for appreciating good music. The Kinks could learn quite a bit from Mando Diao. Words don't do this album justice. Have a listen!

2004 was a good record year, but no albums from 2004 has hit me right in the face like this one. I can't find one weak track on this album and my feet tramps to every song apart from the beautiful and slow Ringing bells.


its maybe the melodies,lyrics or the haircuts but there is something really special about this band and this cd that has been glued to my cd player for the last two months.

Get your hands on this cd

The Swedish are at it again!!! This album is something you don't see often; the sound, the songs, lyrics, and rhythm are all remarkable. Lets hope their fame isn't as short lived as The Libertines. Its good to see that Sweden is still pumping out good rock bands.

Following their first album (Bring 'em in), Mando Diao manage to do it yet again. Whereas the first album had a bit of a studio sound, this one is a bit more raw and bit louder. Three possible singles stand out on this album. Cut the rope, God knows and Down in the past. Most of the tracks are upbeat rockers with the exception of the very beautiful, Ringing bells.
If you liked the first album, you are pretty much gonna love this one. If you didn't like the first one, you're gonna love this anyway.

Driven power retro-pop with good blending vocals, lots of attitude and some howling. It stradles the line between wildness and melodocism. It's only reminiscent of the Hives in the way the lead singer howls, but other than that, they're two different bands who happen to come from the same country and play the same type of music. One major distinction is that where the Hives get weird, Mando remains very melodic and accessible by comparison. They're both really good bands though and they have their distinctions./

This is the latest thing from Sweden. I know that they are popular with the ladies. Even the band Jet are fans. They combine punk rock and a familiarity with Britpop. "Cut The Rope" is reminiscent of The Libertines. There is a mod vibe on "God Knows." "Clean Town" is much like early English punk rock music. They worked on this album with Richard Rainey, who worked with U2 recently. Besides The Concretes, there are not many new exciting bands coming from Sweden. Mando Diao may be a band to check out live, I get the feeling. "You Can't Steal My Love" sounds like a remake of "Don't Look Back At The Sun" by The Libertines. Hopefully the chorus goes into a different direction. I wonder why they are compared to The Libertines so much. Mando Diao is a band capable of great things on their own. They are due for a great album soon.

Great album from a great Swedish rock group! Very catchy tunes and great vocals. It's definitely worth buying!

Let me start off by saying if you don't plan on buying the Hurricane Bar CD from Amazon, but from somewhere else, make sure the CD label is the Toshiba Emi version, not the Swedish one. The Toshiba album (which is the one featured on Amazon) has 2 extra songs plus the Clean Town video for you computer or dvd player. They cost the same and the Toshiba version has 2 great songs on them, one of them, Jeanette, is one of the best on the CD. Hurricane Bar is a lot more upbeat in my opinion and all the songs are very, very good. I've been trying to think of a song on the CD that I don't really like, but I honestly can't think of one. Even if you haven't heard any of Bring Em In, their first album, give this album a shot, it's worth the money for fans of garage/bluesy/alternative rock. I have a feeling this band might be big someday.