Posted on November 25, 2009 - by Mark Zonda
Cheerleading for Piroth!
“I don’t know if tomorrow we’re gonna play. I have to check the e-mail, actually”~Omar Fra
I was so glad Swedish duo Piroth decided to start a new train tour. Just the idea to embrace a journey across Europe in order to share their new work (”Safe Heaven”, Oma Mundi), is so brave to think at Nina and Johanna Piroth more like romantic picaresque wanderers (as meant in lettereature) rather than just a couple of indie singers.
The two sisters decided to record every step of the way in a related blog, and their adventure became more realtime and tech enhanced thank Wim Wenders “Untill The End Of The Word”. It was nice to see two friends again playing in the same place after I met them. It was like meeting a couple of friends, and indeed it was! Nothing has much changed in a year, if compared to Lego (the venue) that turned from the notorious red and white stripes wall to a suggestive painted jungle. And that Nina managed to play a real tambourine instead of a box with a microphone in it. All the rest is the high, delicate and essential acoustic class à la “Queens of Convenience”. The real improvement can be heard in the new album.
A lot of tracks indeed, more rocky and full of musical unpredictable cleaver surprises since their previous work “Prima Ballerina”. Interesting thing to see some of the song in it as part of the sisters trip itself, like the opening “See her Sailing”, based on the rhythm of a train on the go, sustained buy a very suggestive (still soft and not invasive) orchestration that leaves voices and guitars always on focus. The anti-kraftwerian “Trans-Siberian Express” as well and “Only For Tonight”, a very enjoyable, radiophonic and poppy song (even a synth part appears out of the blue). Puffy should consider that one for a cover for sure! “Fog Dancers” was chosen as first single of the album. It was a wise decision, since the song is really inspired, well produced and still representative of the true decadent nature of the project.
“Television Tower” is just hypnotic in the best positive way, just like being captured by the vision of a sudden falling snow, and reminds me of another song from “Clic-Clic” by Freshard. Rest of the album will not disappoint long time fan, with a collection of fine quite acoustic ballads.
Another great surprise from the live show was given by the lively and numerous support band: “Death of a Cheerleader”. Being curious if the name was a mock on Heroes TV Serie “Save the cheerleader”, I asked on of the band, who told me that only the singer knew why, that leaded me to ask to the singer, who said that he didn’t know the TV Show, but it was inspired but ’90s movie starring Donna Summer “Beverly Hills”, but he was not sure ’cause he never saw it and a friend of him told him she was there. That made perfect sense, like the 6 elements completely fiery and with such determination in their eyes, playing together as one voice with the perfection of a Swiss clock their post-punk noisy songs slowed down with acoustic instruments and a casio keyboard, staring Lego’s hosts from the dark painted jungle starting mumbling about politics and adolescent crisis and speculations. But the hood on the hat… The guy with a hood on the hat was KILLER. TOTALLY ACE! He could have been still, not moving a finger, they could have played any kind of music, from bossanova to hardcore, still they would have won. ALWAYS!
“Death of a Cheerleader” has self-released two hand-crafted EP. Do be curious on that band, because the guys all study music in a real music institute, they’re young, they’re cool, they’re for real, they’ve still have bones to chew astill won’t drop one!
Fact is that it’s quite a thing listening to “The Matter” from EP#1 on headphones from CD after having see them that live that night. I mean… it’s quite “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”! “There is still my anger” is the perfect song to show how this band it’s true to themself right before being honest with their listeners. The song may seem a little bit naif, but Omar Fra shows the same honesty John Lennon had when he sat and wrote “How?”, or Wayne Coyne on “Do you realize”. EP#2 it’s more close to that night live dimension, with sad acoustic philosophical folk at hand, Omar sister vocals well balanced like in the Leonard Choenesque “The Sun Will Shine In A Different Way”. “This country is getting too small” in “Tear” was really referred to the World or was hinting at Switzerland? Why musicians from that country aren’t promoted abroad? “It’s time to rise a new protest”.
In the meantime I hope EP#3 will deal with space adventures and trip-hop.
Piroth – “Only For Tonight”
Death of a Cheerleader – “The Sun Will Shine In A Different Way”
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Indie music at its most. And not only! A year has passed since this project started, and I must say that I'm prouder than ever having been persuaded to begin this adventure made by music and words.
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