club 8 - THE boy who couldn't stop dreaming

Club 8 offer hope. This Scandinavian tweepop group have always mixed the melancholy of a dark afternoon in Stockholm with the sunkissed optimism of a midsummer festival. Think early Cardigans, Concretes, Kings Of Convenience and countless other bands imbued with the C86 spirit - and a penchant for making dreamy pop for earnest young men in spectacles. ‘The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Dreaming’ glimpses at the springtime which seems so elusive now. ‘Heaven’ celebrates the brighter days (“now let the sunshine in and clouds pass through”) while ‘Football Kids’ is all blissed-out acoustic loveliness a la Camera Obscura. Elsewhere, Karolina and Johan provide a useful reminder of those giants of acoustic indie The Sundays on ‘When You Come Around’. Feyness dominates throughout, especially on the title track where Karolina marries her gossamer vocal to the gently jangling pop. Road trip hymn ‘Leave The North’ takes a more dramatic tone but it’s still a light and breezy journey. The Swedish twosome may be too sweetly indiepop for those reared on pretty boys with guitars but for lovers of twee, it’s a most welcome sugar high. Summer’s not here kids - but Spring ain’t so far away.