Shout When Spoken To

Sweden's contribution to the world of home furnishings is well known, but it's only been in recent years that the country's music has become almost as famous as its flat pack furniture. Quality acts such as The Concretes, Peter Bjorn & John and The Soundtrack of Our Lives have all helped to shift the stereotype that the Swedes could only produce disco acts such as ABBA or downright cheese like Ace of Base. Indeed when it comes to producing lo-fi pop or lush melodic rock, few countries can match the Swedes' record in recent years.

Another band who have helped this revival are the Shout Out Louds, whose debut album Howl Howl Gaff Gaff caused a serious stir in their homeland upon its release in 2003. When it finally gained an international release two years later, the Shout Out Louds quickly became familiar faces on the indie rock circuit.

Their more introspective take on the indie rock genre saw them dubbed the 'emo-Strokes' by the more unkind sections of the music press, but the Shout Out Louds are no throwaway band; their last album Our Ill Wills was an altogether more confident, mature effort which attracted wide praise. This was in part due to production duties being handled by Bjorn Yttling, better known as one third of Peter Bjorn & John, who is quickly developing a reputation as one of the hottest production talents around. Always an enjoyable live experience, the Shout Out Louds will be yelling at the top of their voices for some time yet.