Customer Reviews

More Happy Moments

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

 

 

...to Krautrock, country-western, Celtic renaissance, ska, and reggae, all in one band. All that's missing is the nihilism, but everyone knows that Swedes are such jolly, carefree folk.

Hoven Droven smashes together traditional Swedish dance rhythms and heavy metal percussion, nyckelharpa and electric bass, Arctic Circle vocals and international white noise. The acoustic wreckage is loud, boisterous, totally joyful. It may take a couple of tracks for American listeners, accustomed to thinking of polkas as old f_rts' music for county fairs, to accept Svenskrock as suitable music for youthful rebels of any age, but just listen and you'll come around. Music like this is NOT an acquired taste. We're all born with a taste for happy noise; witness the baby banging her juice cup on the high chair tray. It takes some personality management as we age, not to lose the thrill of being rudely raucous.

Hoven Droven is quickly becoming one of my favorite bands. They play folk music with attitude, engaging a bunch of non-folk instruments like Saxophone, and add a up-tempo beat. Very nice, very original.

However, this is the first time I'm hearing Hoven Droven with the addition of vocals, and I have to say, I'm not a fan of that. The instrumental tracks are excellent, the ones with the singers are not so good. The singers themselves are OK; nothing to write home about but nothing great either. The magic of this band lies in the musicianship, and they should let that shine through instead of supplanting it unnecessarily.

This is the only Hoven Droven album I've got so far, and man is it fantastic. Very heavy rock "reels" with a unique sound, and a few songs with some lovely sounding female Swedish singers. The album rocks. Kind of like you took a heavy metal band to a Renaissance festival. I can't recommend it highly enough.

These guys are happening. There is a mixture of original and new songs on this CD. This Swedish band has interesting arrangements and funky grooves.

I urge you to try it. If you like the mellower side of rock, then this one is for you !