Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Smile.dk has gone through several changes over the years but the Swedish pop group is back with their fifth album!, November 24, 2008
My first time I heard of Smile.dk (or at the time known as Smile) was when I was in Japan at Sega Joypolis pumping coins into the "Dance Dance Revolution" arcade game. Their song "Butterfly" was a catchy song that really caught my attention a decade ago and since then, their music over the years have been featured on various DDR games and ten years later, the group has a new track titled "Doki Doki" (Panic Mix) which will be featured on "Dance Dance Revolution Universe" for the XBOX 360.
But back in 2005, I remember that there was new going on if the group would continue because the women were married and have become mothers, also the group has changed quite a bit with Veronica Larsson, the only member of the original duo that still performs with the group. Malin Kernby who replaced Nina Boquist (the original member) left the group earlier this year. Malin did take part in recording a few tracks on this album such as "Doki Doki" but left the group due to personal matters and brought in Hanna Stockzell to replace her.
So, the year has been a restart of Smile.dk which now currently consists of Veronica Larsson and Hanna Stockzell, a new start with a new label, new producers and now a new album titled "Party Around the World".
Having not released an album since 2002, Smile.dk has released their fifth album on Oct. 2008 with "Party Around the World" and needless to say, American fans are excited with the announcement that the duo will be performing at the largest anime convention in the East Coast, Otakon in the Summer of 2009.
The duo's album "Party Around the World" features a good balance of European Pop/dance tracks such as "Doki Doki" (which is a Japanese slang for the heart beating). The track incorporates a traditional Japanese style of Koto sound but showcasing the group's sugary pop style.
The album features a few song with a Japanese-related title such as the upbeat tracks "Japanese Boy", "Koko Soko" (Here There) and "Tomoe".
But as the duo is known for their high energy pop tracks, which the majority of the tracks on "Party Around the World" features upbeat, happy pop tracks, you'll find a few songs that really showcase the group's vocals with songs such as the ballad "Nothing's Missing - For Once in My Life" which features legendary Swiss guitarist Lasse Wellander. A beautiful ballad showcasing the group's harmonies. Very well done!
For those who are familiar with Smile.dk's music in the past, you will still find that style of music on "Party Around the World". Despite not having released an album in six years, "Party Around the World" is a solid, enjoyable album featuring fun, enjoyable pop tracks.
But I have to admit that when I heard the track "Nothing's Missing - For Once in My Life", I was really impressed by the duo's vocals and the fact that the song was not a high energy dance track and wouldn't mind hearing a few experimentation tracks of the group trying out other styles of music. In fact, the track "Around the World" is an upbeat track on the album that is one of those songs that don't go the Euro dance pop route compared to the other songs on the album.
Of course, a large part of their fandom are passionate about their Euro dance pop tracks and on "Party Around the World", they don't let their fans down as there are plenty of dance tracks throughout the album to keep fans satisfied.
Tracks such as "Doki Doki", "Koko Soko", "Summer Party", "Its In Your Melody", "Hummingbird" and "Tomoe" are definite tracks that are catchy, fun and all have a similar style to their popular classic hit "Butterfly" that should definitely keep their fans happy.
Overall, a very good, solid album from Smile.dk! If you enjoyed their tracks from the past, then definitely check this album out!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Amazing, November 3, 2008
It has been quite a while since the last Smile.dk album, and it was quite worth the wait. Tracks 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11 are the best. The new singer blends seamlessly into the Smile.dk style and is a great fit fro the group. If you like Smile.dk, you NEED this CD.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Smile.dk is back!!!!, December 4, 2008
After 7 years or so, Smile.dk is back, and their new album is absolutely AMAZING!!! Almost all of the tracks are good and catchy (just the first 3 tracks make me wanna dance already). Some of the songs in this album are probably one of the best you've ever heard, like "Koko Soko" or "Doki Doki." If you love Smile.dk, this is a MUST-HAVE CD.
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