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“Into the Clouds” makes two consecutive selections from Sweden (Exhibit A: Friska Viljors) and one from Norway before that–maybe there is some magical musical pixie dust in the Scandinavian water supply these days? Whatever it is, it’s working.
Back in February, I wrote about The Sound of Arrows for a different site, and their just-released 12″ for Neon Gold shows how much the band has elevated their game in the past half year. Stefan Storm and Oskar Gullstrand are barely old enough to drink in the States, a fact belied by their nimble production and thorough grasp of the conventions and history behind their spaced-out electronic pop. Their previous EPs for Stockholm’s Labador Records were fun and ambitious–perhaps to a fault. At moments, their desire to cram a panoply of musical concepts into each song bogged things down and interfered with their penchant for crafting melodies.
With “Into the Clouds,” The Sound of Arrows have excised a bit of their compositional density in favor of a more melodically streamlined vision. This includes focusing more explicitly on the dance music that both members clearly love; it’s nearly impossible to not hear anthems by Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, or When in Rome lurking in the lining of these “Clouds.” This allows the band to deliver one of the best singles of 2009, a salacious slice of ’80s synth-pop inspired fun. Fellow Swedes Le Sport had a song entitled “If Neil Tennant Was My Lover” which lovingly summed up the homoerotic, nonchalant vibe of that genre and era, and this track undoubtedly taps into that zeitgeist (for further proof, check out the video the band produced for the song).
The Sound of Arrows tell a story in two acts here: the first is a dreamy blur that hangs in the air; the second is a thumping, romantic floor filler. Both are expertly rendered and skillfully tied together, most noticeably during a bridge about halfway though when both halves overlap like a Venn diagram. I hesitate to deconstruct this one too much, though, since it speaks for itself so eloquently. “Into the Clouds” can be enjoyed effortlessly and without much thought yet also offers a genre-defying musical depth upon closer inspection. It is simply another stellar single from a phenomenal duo.
(43 votes, average: 8.26 out of 10)
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October 2nd, 2009 at 2:02 am
Instant classic, a 10. One of the best I’ve heard this year.
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:18 am
This song rocks. Every time I listen to it, I am bummed when it ends.
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:32 am
I LOVE this song! The singers voice is very airy and the music compliments it but it still maintains a solid beat in the back ground! I love how it also expands the amount of sounds as the song plays on. Definite download!
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:43 am
A 10 for sure.
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:44 am
I’d rather not think about the supposed homo-erotic undertones but instead enjoy the music. I bought their EP’s to support more work. Into the clouds is one of my favorite music videos ever though!
December 7th, 2009 at 6:36 am
LOVE IT
I listened to this on repeat like 100 times
April 18th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Wow.