Spring Break
Icelandic band serves up light melodies, heavy on repetition
Aaron Tessman
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Entertainment
11/03/09 - Baroi Johhannsson, from Iceland, formed the band, Bang Gang in the mid-1990s and is currently the only member performing. Previous band members have included Henrik Baldvin Bjornsson, now with Singapore Sling, Esther Talia Casey and Vedis Hervor Arnadottir.
When I first heard of Bang Gang, I thought they would have a more rap-influenced sound. But my first impression proved to be wrong.
The EP "Find What You Get," an excerpt from the complete album, "Something Wrong" is on an entirely different playing field than rap. With an electronic, smooth, pop/rock sound and gentle lyrics, this sampling of songs has an eclectic, soothing feel to it. Surprisingly, my initial reaction was "Wow; this is actually good."
After the first 48 seconds of the title song on this four song, 16-minute tidbit, it became apparent that I was in for quite a lot of repetition. The phrases seemed to drag on and just kept on repeating each other.
"Find What You Get" begins with, "You can tell me all the trouble's gone before you reach the sky, find what you get there" and repeats that phrase for more than three minutes.
The track, "It's Alright" doesn't do much better. Following the same pattern as "Find What You Get" the singing of, "in your arms, in my arms," over and over again fell on deaf ears. If you enjoy lyrics, as I do, this redundancy makes for a disappointing listening experience.
The music alone is chillingly beautiful, like the frosty haunts of Iceland, but it lacks imagination. Bang Gang uses a simple 4/4 beat and yet again, a very repetitive and melodic line.
However, the band opens the third track "Follow" with a stunning piano, eerie synthesizers and light drumming for harmonic melody and rhythm. This song stood out among the others and showed Bang Gang's musical talent and lyrical prowess.
The CD finishes with a live recording of "Find What You Get." Compared to the studio recording, the live version catches on fire. You can feel the difference in sound as the tempo picks up and energy flows from the stage. The lyrics stay the same but the music varies slightly as the drummer flourishes from basic, somber beats to cymbal crashes and vigorous play.
When I first heard of Bang Gang, I thought they would have a more rap-influenced sound. But my first impression proved to be wrong.
The EP "Find What You Get," an excerpt from the complete album, "Something Wrong" is on an entirely different playing field than rap. With an electronic, smooth, pop/rock sound and gentle lyrics, this sampling of songs has an eclectic, soothing feel to it. Surprisingly, my initial reaction was "Wow; this is actually good."
After the first 48 seconds of the title song on this four song, 16-minute tidbit, it became apparent that I was in for quite a lot of repetition. The phrases seemed to drag on and just kept on repeating each other.
"Find What You Get" begins with, "You can tell me all the trouble's gone before you reach the sky, find what you get there" and repeats that phrase for more than three minutes.
The track, "It's Alright" doesn't do much better. Following the same pattern as "Find What You Get" the singing of, "in your arms, in my arms," over and over again fell on deaf ears. If you enjoy lyrics, as I do, this redundancy makes for a disappointing listening experience.
The music alone is chillingly beautiful, like the frosty haunts of Iceland, but it lacks imagination. Bang Gang uses a simple 4/4 beat and yet again, a very repetitive and melodic line.
However, the band opens the third track "Follow" with a stunning piano, eerie synthesizers and light drumming for harmonic melody and rhythm. This song stood out among the others and showed Bang Gang's musical talent and lyrical prowess.
The CD finishes with a live recording of "Find What You Get." Compared to the studio recording, the live version catches on fire. You can feel the difference in sound as the tempo picks up and energy flows from the stage. The lyrics stay the same but the music varies slightly as the drummer flourishes from basic, somber beats to cymbal crashes and vigorous play.
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