I think that last year on the 1st ‘official’ release day we were greeted with a new Major Parkinson single, and I made a sadly prophetic prediction about ‘2020 being all down here from now’. At least 2021 is going to get better and better, and I mean that with no obvious disservice to The School Book Depository, one of my favourite indie projects, who’ve offered a new single to start the year.
Entitled ‘Tornado’ it returns to the normal format of songwriter Fredrik Solfors taking the vocal responsibilities, after the previous release featured a new name to us, Helena Lindsten – and a pretty fabulous job she did of it too.
I’m probably repeating myself a little with The School Book Depository, because the key to the song is just a big sweeping melody, but as always with that hit of melancholy and reflection. I was wondering whether Fredrik Solfors is getting more contemplative with his songwriting, but actually I think it’s pretty much always been like that.
Anyway writing about it, he says: “it deals with all these minor or major catastrophes we see coming but are helpless to avoid, personal or global. Sometimes we force these situations upon ourselves and sometimes the silence that comes after can be more deafening than when we are amidst the storm itself. From time to time we spark fundamental changes and these give consequences worse than we anticipated. But we are also bearing in mind our great ability to start over, to adjust and build something new.”
There’s not many bands I say this about, but he really never writes a ‘bad’ song, which is a strangely ‘pint half empty’ perspective to take I realise, so feel free to consider the opposite, which is that all his songs are good. They really are. 'Treadmill Heaven’ is one of my favourite all time tracks, hidden away at the end of their 1st album.
Really looking forward to another album anyway, which I don’t think we’ve officially been told about, but I’m pretty sure is on its way.
Find them on Facebook. Photo by Lanna Olsson: