Bob Hund Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
It might be hard to imagine, but Sweden is a country where music is nearly always highly produced and polished. So it's very nice to see that there still are some Swedish bands whose members want to retain a punkish sound and not sell their souls to the music industry. Bob Hund, which continues to record for the indie Silence label, should be included among such bands, comprised of musicians who make the kind of music that sounds like they want to make. Even though Stenåldern Kan Börja might have become the group's most popular album outside the Swedish underground, the plot is pretty much the same as in the last two studio albums: melodic rock with a colorful soundscape and thoughtful lyrics. The opening "Dansa Efter Min Pipa" and the following "Sista Beställiningen" reflect the raving live power of Bob Hund, and even though the slower "Papperstrumpeten" might bring the intensity down for a while, the energetic "F.ö. Stal Hon Mitt Hjärta" once again presents Bob Hund at its peak. Singer Thomas Oberg keeps up the pace with an extremely enthusiastic voice, and even though Bob Hund didn't set out to create a clean sound, the band's playing is so smooth that you really can't complain. There are many innovative elements in the arrangements, and now and then it seems that smaller tricks in the playing kick in. So even though Bob Hund doesn't seem to rely on extreme production techniques, the effect is complete and there really aren't any gaps at all. Stenåldern Kan Börja might be the best album by Bob Hund so far. However, as the success of the band may suggest, Bob Hund has intentionally moved more toward straightforward pop. Older fans may find Stenåldern a bit disappointing, yet it is a vital part of Bob Hund's discography. ~ Antti J. Ravelin, All Music Guide
'Bob Hund Sover Aldrig'
Release Date 1/1/1999
Tracks 13
Label Silence
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
It's hard to start listening to a live album by a band who has been one of the most exceptional indie bands around; as it is with live albums, there have been only a few excellent cases since the first live album was released. So it doesn't look good at first. But then again, Bob Hund has been a very powerful live act, mostly thanks to singer Thomas, whose performance on-stage makes the visual side of Bob Hund extremely interesting. And when the music itself is even more enthusiastic than on albums, the concept of a live album might work well. Luckily, Bob Hund has a variable set of songs: there are melodic and slow tunes, and then there are fast and noisy rock songs. A good example of this can be found from the beginning, when the powerful "Nu Är Det Väl Revolution På Gång?" follows the opening classic "Upp, Upp, Upp, Ner." This pattern continues the whole way throughout the album, making both kinds of songs worthwhile. It would be hard to imagine an album full of rock songs like "Min Trampolin" or acoustic tracks such as "Rock'n'Roll Tar Död På Mig." So for listeners' relief, the most important part of a live album -- correct choices for the track listing -- is fulfilled. It's also surprising how hard it is to get into Bob Hund Sover Aldrig. So for new fans of Bob Hund, this might be a perfect chance to get started with the old songs. ~ Antti J. Ravelin, All Music Guide
'Jag rear ut Min Själ! Allt Ska Bort!'
Release Date 1/1/1998
Tracks 11
Label Silence
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
All of the albums and EPs by Swedish pop sextet Bob Hund are officially untitled. Jag Rear Ut Min Själ! Allt Skall Bort! (My Soul Is For Sale! Everything Must Go!) is the slogan on the posters of the bandmembers dotting the album's artwork, and it's used to differentiate this 1998 release from the other self-titled Bob Hund records. Those who think Swedish pop begins with ABBA and ends with the Cardigans likely wouldn't know what to make of Bob Hund's arch, new wave-influenced pop. As skittish as post-punk icons like Magazine or the Gang of Four, Bob Hund also possess a frothy pop edge: One song is called "Tralala Lilla Molntuss, Kom Hit Skall Du Fa En Puss!" (Tra-La-La Little Cloud, Come Here And I'll Kiss You), and it sounds like they're only kidding a little bit. Bob Hund does have a puckish sense of humor -- the opening instrumental, "Bob Hunds 115:e Drom," namechecks one of Dylan's most famous early songs and baldly rips off Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" riff, and then there's the song whose title translates roughly to "Shouldn't There Be a Revolution Going On?" -- but this is overall one of the band's more serious records, with a newfound sociopolitical bent to Thomas Oberg's lyrics (as always, all the lyrics are in Swedish) and a less manic musical demeanor than on the group's occasionally silly early records. The band produced the album themselves for the first time (Bob Hund's early records were produced by the Swedish pop trio Eggstone), and there's an increased keyboard presence that shifts the musical balance of power toward vintage synthesizer buff and obvious Kraftwerk fan Jonas Jonasson. Sounding less like Pavement crossed with XTC than their earlier records did, Jag Rear Ut Min Själ! Allt Skall Bort! is a solid, mature album that overshadows the group's influences. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
First, an explanation of the strange title: Like all of Bob Hund's albums, this 1996 release is actually untitled. The phrase Omslag: Martin Kann is simply a photo credit (for the group's longtime art designer and photographer) scribbled in the lower right-hand cover of the front cover, which is used to differentiate this untitled album from all the others. Their second full-length album, Omslag: Martin Kann is a little noisier and more abstract than the Swedish sextet's earlier records. Thomas Oberg's vocals have a strained quality on songs like "Sommaren Rasar" ("Summer's Raging") -- as always, the titles and lyrics are entirely in Swedish -- which also introduces a horn section into the band's manic guitar pop sound. Other new touches, like strings and vibes, color the songs, giving the album a more sophisticated sheen than before. The combination of noise and prettiness gives the album an increased tension in songs like "Fortrangda Problem" and the moody ballad "Upp, Upp, Upp, Ner," making this a more varied and dynamic album than 1994's rather one-dimensional Bob Hund. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The first full-length album by Stockholm's Bob Hund (following a similarly self-titled 1993 EP) is manic guitar pop in the angular mode of early Pavement, only without the lo-fi production. (In fact, the production, by the much more commercial Swedish popsters Eggstone, is exemplary.) From the mile-a-minute instrumental opener "Allseende Ogat" through the following nine vocal tracks (all lyrics and titles in Swedish), the six-piece band play skittish, ultra-jumpy guitar pop with analog synth accents. They nod toward not only Pavement, but also the first couple of XTC albums, and even the naïve rock of '70s art poppers Slapp Happy. That influence shows up most readily on the nine-minute, multi-part epic "Det Skulle Vara Latt For Mig Att Saga Att Jag Inte Hitlar Hem Mon Det Gor Jagitvor Jag," which veers from perky new wave pop to a hypnotic, almost psychedelic drone rock section, with extended plane crash guitar solo that recalls both Swervedriver and the American paisley underground bands of the '80s. The even trippier "Den Nollgradige" is another highlight. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
