What is it with those Swedes and their infectious pop tunes? After the success of Abba, a slew of popular pop bands followed. From Alcazar to Ace of Base, and from Roxette to Da Buzz. Not to mention producers like Max Martin who turned Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys into household names. It must be in their water, colorful IKEA interiors or they just are really shiny happy people in their wintery wonderland.
Swedish pop duo The Attic is my newest guilty pleasure from Scandinavia. It might be lacking indie cred, but this band will have you tapping your feet in no time whether you want it or not.
The Attic is a collaboration of songwriters and producers Michael Feiner (vocals) and Eric Amarillo (synths) who have known each other since childhood. It was their love for pop and house music that brought them together to make music. No wonder that their music combines strong melodic hooks with dance floor sensibilities. Plus, it has the musical X factor - that little magic ingredient that is bith sad and uplifting (which is my exact definition of accomplished pop).
The Attic's first single "I Just Can't Help It" charted #1 for seven weeks on the Swedish Dance Chart. Second single "Destiny" also charted #1 on the Swedish Dance Chart and #2 on the UK club chart. Eric Prydz ("Call On Me") and Axwell ("Feel The Vibe") both contributed with remixes of "Destiny".
The group released their debut "The One" in Sweden earlier this week. The album is available digitally in Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan. If you don't have access to those stores, you can stream The Attic's songs on their MySpace page. Current single off the album is "It's Beautiful" that is available (including mixes) on the U.S. iTunes. (A big thank you to The Attic for allowing me to stream the song on Arjanwrites.com.)
Stream "It's Beautiful" by The Attic:
