This has been on my "get this album when it comes out" list ever since I checked out that song on
paperthinwalls.
paperthinwalls Wrote:
Let’s state it from the outset: Emil Svanängen has one hell of a vocal range. Much of what’s compelling about the Stockholm songwriter is that his music stems from his ability to evoke vastly different moods, even vastly different personalities solely through his voice. It’s not technically dazzling, but it’s rich in a sidearm vein, and its quirks mesh perfectly with the quirks of Loney, Dear’s rollercoaster pop. At first, Svanängen lets fly with an earnest falsetto and breathier croon, but can shift into a sort of ecstatic keening, and from there to an intermediate state—a talent that comes off as more charming than irritating.
“I Am John“ begins in earnest, with voice, guitar, light drumming and a clarinet underscoring everything (Svanängen appears to have a fondness for woodwinds). Longtime March Records watchers might be reminded in places of Holiday—at least for the first half of the song. And then it builds and Svanängen’s voice begins pitching upwards. The song follows him into delirium: “I want your arms around me like lovers do/And I’m never gonna let you down/Never gonna let you down“ over and over, and you never doubt he means it. It’s a Sigur Ròs ending to a Paul Weller song, jangle-pop ending in glorious delirium.
And that’s one part of what’s hypnotic about this song. The other? It’s devouring itself. Consider the title, then consider the first lines: “Johnny and I, we got lost tonight, we got carried away/It takes someone like me to lose track like that.“ Svanängen addresses the whole song to a “you,“ and through the lyrics, fumbling bodies, adolescent awkwardness and desperation all filter in. The title adds that extra layer to it, word games transforming a narrative of friendship and confusion to something more ambiguous, solipsistic. That every voice we hear on this song, every instrument played comes from Svanängen only deepens that feeling. He isn’t making music without precedent, but it—like the Polyphonic Spree and stateside labelmates the Brunettes—overflows with exuberance and joy, even when the lyrics tap into something less assured. - TOBIAS CARROLL
