One Track Mind

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If you’re looking for a micro-study on globalization, look no further than Love in October, a band formed by two Swedish brothers who moved to Chicago and rounded out their lineup with members from Mexico, India, and Canada. (Seriously, they’re like a mini United Nations unto themselves.) On “Like Nothing Ever Happened,” culled from their soon to be released self-titled EP, they confirm the expectation that such diversity leads to a sound that has a lot going on.

While the song decidedly uptempo, Love in October does a terrific job of making it more of a cross-training session than an outright sprint by exercising restraint throughout, creating a shifting dynamic which feels like a succession of movements. “Like Nothing Ever Happened” is nice and punchy, too; clocking in at a svelte 2:38, no moment is wasted. Guitars smash their way through louder moments while brass and cheap synthesizers serve as exclamation points, punctuating the song’s final dash.

This is a celebratory piece of songwriting and performance that makes you believe Erik Widman when he sings “Oh, it’s good to be one of us.” The rest of the EP is multifarious in scope with the band carving out a unique identity for each track, but even if all I had to go off was this song, I would still be left feeling optimistic about Love in October.