Instrumental, Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***
Ranked #14 on the blog's Top 25 list
There's something special about debut
albums, sometimes showing artists in their fledgling phase while
still trying to find their identity. At best they capture a certain
spirit lost already at the second try, for better or for worse. Or
that's how it used to be. Nowadays, record labels more often than not
expect artists to be fully finished, marketable units already before
the release of their first single (or iTunes file). There's not a
huge difference between artists and genetically engineered crops
anymore.
Their eponymous debut album would
likely not be the first choice of the regular Samla Mammas Manna fan,
but it's the one that remains my personal favourite. Recorded before
percussionist Henrik ”Bebben” Öberg left the group and before
guitarist Coste Apetrea joined them, the sound is very different to and more easy-going than
that of second and third albums ”Måltid” and ”Klossa
knapitatet”, more reliant on Lars Hollmer's keyboards, particularly his music box electric piano.
With less emphasis on intricacy, it relies more on mood and atmosphere. The well-known Samla playfulness is already evident (albeit in a not yet fully developed form), but the recordings have an almost basement-like ambience to them, making the album peculiarly ambiguous, charming yet oddly spooky. Although not similar in style, the feel of the album somehow reminds me of Czech underground band Plastic People Of The Universe. It's like peeking through the secret keyhole and what you see in there sets the album apart from more or less every other album there is.
With less emphasis on intricacy, it relies more on mood and atmosphere. The well-known Samla playfulness is already evident (albeit in a not yet fully developed form), but the recordings have an almost basement-like ambience to them, making the album peculiarly ambiguous, charming yet oddly spooky. Although not similar in style, the feel of the album somehow reminds me of Czech underground band Plastic People Of The Universe. It's like peeking through the secret keyhole and what you see in there sets the album apart from more or less every other album there is.
”Samla Mammas Manna” is definitely
a progressive album, but with less of the fireworks complexity
typical to the later Apetrea line-up, I find it a more enduring
listen.
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