Tim: Another new act out of Sweden today, claiming as their influences a-ha, Madonna, Kylie and Pet Shop Boys. Interested?
Tom: Definitely.
Tim: That, I think, is exactly how I would imagine a collaboration of those four acts, so first of all well done for using your inspiration well. Secondly, I didn’t realise how amazing it could sound. Possibly part of it could be an “oh, this actually does sound really good” surprise reaction, as unusually the first chorus did more for me than the second – that first stupid love song line immediately put a massive smile on my face.
Tom: The 80s/early 90s really are back again, again, aren’t they? There are minor irritations here — “feels so freaking wrong” would be better as “feels so wrong”, both because of the minced oath and because the timing grates; the middle eight is pretty poor — but you’re right, this is good.
I’ve been referencing the KLF’s Manual a lot recently, but their advice for a number one was, in short: find a groove that the world liked, rip it off, sing something that sounds good over the top, let professional people make it sound professional. I feel like they’ve followed that here.
Tim: I do have one complaint, though, and it’s this: it needs something for that final chorus. A key change, maybe? I’m not sure, but it really just needs to go somewhere different – if there’s one staple of 80s music that this has very much embraced, it’s the tendency to go on a little bit past its welcome, because by the time that final chorus comes around my reaction was more an “oh, hello again”. I don’t know what it is, but the song needs it.