Review from BluesBunny

BluesBunny takes on the new album and gives it 4 carrots:

Sofia Talvik & the Tallboys, Street of Dreams, Makaki Music 2007

“Street of Dreams” is the second album from Sweden’s Sofia Talvik. This album is 13 tracks of quirky love songs that run deeper than they seem.

Highlight was the single “It’s Just Love” featuring Bernard Butler. Swooping and dramatic, this song is a convincing demonstration of the talent of those involved. Not that the rest of the album disappoints. “I Won the First Prize Tonight” sounds like a pleasant folk song but the lyrics are altogether darker. “Holding Your Hand” also sounds lightweight and fluffy but is in fact a touching commentary on the search for a soulmate. Ending on the bluesy “So Good to Me”, she tells us of the search for happiness once more. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Ms Talvik does not give us easy answers. There are no simplistic love songs here. Things do not often work out but we should never give up hope.

Charmingly performed and a fine example of the genre, this album makes for a pleasant and enjoyable listen. We think that a lot of people will like this release. Nothing offends here and you get a nice, warm feeling from it but it does bear up to closer investigation. There is a lot more substance there than the first listen indicates. Well worth tracking down therefore and adding to the collection. Available from her website.

Guesting Swedish Radio p4

Hey!
This Friday, between 10.30 and 11.00 am, I'm guesting the p4 radio show Hasse & Ylva.
Unfortunately I won't be doing any singing but I will be talking :lol:, so don't miss it hehe.

Update: Listen to the show here. (Starts 5mins in after the news.)

last tracks recorded!

I'm counting days til the 8th of november. That's when the album should, and hopefully will be, mixed and finished.

Today we added the last instrumental parts, a wonderful arrangement for three saxophones written by Hanna for the song "will you call me when you're sober". Now hold it, I know what you're thinking; "hmmm…saxophones, you mean like early Sting or perhaps that funky sound of Tina Turner?" But I promise you, it's nothing like that at all. Actually the saxophone parts on this album has sort of become my favourite sound. You rarely hear it in popmusic today, at least not like this.

Hanna (who plays the soprano saxophone) brought her friend Nis (who plays the baryton) and I barely had time to say "saxophone" before they were finished with the recordings and out the studio door. I'm so lucky to have such talanted musicians playing on this album, but then again, they're so lucky to have such a great producer (me!) hehe. Just kidding, but it's coming out just wonderful som I'm very happy with it.

Now, it may have been a quick recording this afternoon, but you will have all the time in the world to enjoy it as I'm posting a sample for you to listen at.

And that's all for today folks!

"Will you call me when you're sober"

Darling piano and strings

I've had a busy week listening to various adds to the album, we've finished strings and piano and it's time for a little sample again.

Erik Jansson has been more than creative arranging some beautiful string orchestras for a couple of the songs. Erik also works with Jay Jay Johanson and has been a part of Jay Jay's set for many years now. And Jozsef has added a finishing touch to his amazing piano. It has all come together.

Here's a beautiful sample of their work conjoined. Never mind the irritating buzzing noice that my computer added when I bounced the song to mp3. I promise it won't be there on the album 😉

"Mother's way, Father's way"

Beautiful Bass

It’s been a hectic week to say the least. I decided to skip one of the songs for the album (as everybody thought it was horrible except me, haha) and had to choose and record a new one. I decided for yet another song with the word “shoe” in the lyrics and probably will have to rename the entire album to “shoes” now 🙂 .We decided not to put Baby, eeerr I mean Anders, in the corner anymore (as he was forced to be there during the recordings of the last album, that studio simply wasn’t big enough for him and his bass) so we even gave him his own room this time. Check out the video here:

[flv:/video/recordingbass.flv 320 240]

I’m nothing but truly impressed of the way he nailed all these songs in just six hours. We rehearsed a few of them for the gig at Landet and the radio gig last week but there were several he never heard before and he did brilliantly! Even the song “Holding your hand” which he renamed “the Zappa-song” because of all the half times hidden in it. Being unrehearsed may not be the ultimate way of doing it but I must say it does add a kind of nerv that you don’t get if you know the songs too well.

Anyway, next week we’ll be recording Marcus and his guitars, yep he’ll be doing both acustic and electric this time. And I’ll record the last song for the album (no shoes in that one), which I have to do in the studio where we recorded the bass, because I have to play and sing at the same time.

In the meantime, listen to a sample from “I won the first price tonight”

take care now and I’ll see you all next week.

The studio
Me as the true technician.. press "rec" press "stop"... Jonas, behind the camera, did all the real work.
No wonder we had to give Anders a bigger room, we couldn't even fit him into one frame...
It's a kind of magic: the other halft of Anders
Now here's the big picture! With a bit of a distance we managed to get all of him. Isn't it beautiful, well it sure sounds beautiful!