Swedish vocals
International relevance: **
This is an album I've wanted to hear for a very long time and curiousity grew to expectations, and that's not good. The higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment. I guess we've all been there.
What I expected to get was a an album of well-crafted pop songs still under the influence of the 60's, with pronounced psychedelic elements. Something along the lines of Jason's Fleece perhaps. But it's not really the lost popsike masterpiece I had envisioned my over-vivid, hopeful mind.
It's a mellow album with pastoral touches and a rich use of harmony
vocals. The album has an underground feel being recorded at home, but
it's surprisingly professional sounding. The songs are
on the commercial side, but not without surprises. There's a fuzz
guitar breakout here, a sharp turn there, and oops! a sudden melodic
twist I wasn't prepared for! There's something about the album that
makes me think of a more consistent Cymbeline, perhaps even
a dash of pop-minded Latin American bands such as Laghonia/We All Together and Embrujo.
Not everything here is good – ”Kalle Wall” is plain embarassing – but as my false expectations waned off, I began to hear the album for what it is, and there are indeed worthwhile moments. The fuzzed ”Regn” is a high point, while ”Tu-ru-tu” sounds like a lost, early solo McCartney demo. ”Harambee” isn't a lost treasure but it has grower qualities, and if you approach it with fewer misguided anticipations than I did, it's not impossible at all that you reach into it much quicker than me.
Harambee made a second album in 1975 as Wasa, a much more commercial (and inferior) pop affair released on Polar Records and produced by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and ABBA producer Michael B. Tretow.
Full album
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