Irreverent Rockers Ex Norwegian To Release 13th Album 'Spook Du Jour'
The new album consists of 12 songs.
By: Michael Major Mar. 02, 2022
Thirty minutes. A dozen songs. Ex Norwegian's album No. 13 brings it. Faithful to its tuneful and irreverent brand, the aptly named "Spook Du Jour" features the moody art rock of "Thot Patrol," alongside tracks like "Burn It" and "Vicious Cycles" that can trace their influence back to Bowie and The Velvet Underground.
For 15 years, Ex Norwegian, with band mainstay Roger Houdaille, has been delivering quirky lyrics combined with an eclectic approach, while successfully resisting the momentary trends to create a more perennial sound.
"Spook Du Jour" is indeed another win for their catalog with plenty of choice cuts - from the driving glam-meets-Krautrock of "For Your Conveniences" to the Bolan-esque charmer "Ciancia." On an early 90's alt-rock mixtape, "Teen Bakery" wouldn't be out of place.
The albums' straightforward instrumentation and organic arrangements create a vintage rock vibe with enough freshness and individuality to stand out.
At times, the melodies effortlessly stream out and chords go where they should. At other times, the album breaks out of the expected formulas with more adventurous compositions like "Paging Lisa" and the album's finale "Center Mario" reminding listeners that the band is not immune to oddity.
Released via Think Like A Key Music worldwide on CD, LP and streaming platforms.
An arcane and adventurous indie rock band that mixes classic songwriting with popsike, garage prog and power-pop hailing from sunny Miami Beach are unlikely contenders to be named after a Monty Python sketch; yet the musical collective Ex Norwegian indeed are.
The band is led by founder Roger Houdaille, who is responsible for their effortlessly catchy songs spanning across a constant stream of DIY releases. Drawing inspiration from the likes of the Kinks, Badfinger to Amon Düül 2, Family - the music and ethos of the 60s & 70s lives and breathes in their extensive catalog - from retro slacker garage jams, to quirky, deconstructive pop songs.
Comments
Videos