"From the fact that this is mostly a solo endeavour, that the songs are prickily
entitled ‘They Hate This Where I Come From’ or ‘FU My Friends’ you might
think that you are about to tuck into a banquet of misanthropy or a dinner of
disparagement, at the very least a side-order of cynicism. Think again, this is food
of a very different kind; it is food for the brain and the heart, intelligent and
beautiful with a hint of bitterness that is salved by the sauce of tenderness. A
particular favourite is ‘They Hate This Where I’m From’ starts as slow and
sketchily as the slowest slo-core with just some slo-mo chimes of math rock guitar
and whispered downbeat vocals, the guitars build a little complexity whilst
essentially remaining plucked string strums where each string resonates on its own,
a bass clarinet and saxophone slowly dance across the song weaving more complex
patterns honking, the effect is like migrating geese with a malfunctioning sat-nav.
Contrast that with the almost straightforward pop of ‘No Hurry’ or the even
more melodious ‘No Loud Crash’ and you begin to build a watertight case for
comparing this with Todd Rundgren. If you are struck by beauty then ‘Birds
Around Yr Head’ will do it for you, simple acoustic strum, gentle vocals are all
that is needed and by the time you get to the end of the song any preconceptions of
misanthropy have completely disappeared. "
Date review added: Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Reviewer: David Cowling
Shoddy Merchandise
9 song CD
"And The Swede is the chosen moniker of solo artist Matthew William Kohnle,
who wrote, recorded and performed the songs on the disc by himself. His style is
sedate and subdued, found somewhere between the quiet depression of Joe Pernice
and the understated other-worldliness of Pink Floyd.
The album finds its power in solitude, a feeling gently pushed along by
half-whispered vocals and a sparse musical landscape. It's an emptiness which is
close and personal, not distant, adding weight with each musical passage. Yes, it
is bitter, but at the same time brilliant. "
MISH MASH Mandate: The Bitterest Pill
The Swede — And the Swede
"EDITOR'S PICK"
"Alternative pop-rock with indie rock intentions and gentle harmonies, the Swede
is Matthew William Kohnle (yes he’s the Swede). Utilizing his past as an
improv noise collage artist in Connecticut, Kohnle paints a portrait of melodies
and fitting arrangements throughout this neatly textured album. While not quite
chamber pop, it almost feels as elegant with lavish use of bridges and choruses
amid semi-chaotic avant garde jazz structures. It’s witty, divergent, and never
altruistic which I blame for the downfall of many experimental indie pop and
alternative pop acts failure."
- J-Sin
March, 31st 2007
The folks at Shoddy Records contacted me abouta review of The Swede. I checked
out some of their music online, and must have liked them because I agreed to
review them if they sent me a copy of their CD.
So when I popped the Swede CD into iTunes to start the review, I immediately
remembered why I asked for a copy of their music. I can safely say that it is good.
Describing their music, however, is a bit more difficult. It falls somewhere
between rock and singer/songwriter, and matches perfectly with the rainy
Saturday afternoon that lingers outside my window.
The Swede sounds most like a Coldplay and Kunek mixture, but it has a more
subdued sound that Coldplay does not possess.
Shoddy Records describes their offereing best with “it retains a solid feel
throughout, opting not to overstuff itself with filler, or instrumental red herrings.”
I can stand by that statement, because very rarely do their songs get too heavy.
They’ve got a great thing going.
As for songs on the record, my favorites include The First Song on this Record
and No Loud Crash. You can listen to The First Song on this Record, The
Director, and A Harmless Tune online at the Shoddy Records website.
The Swede have only begun, and I think they have the characteristics needed to
make some waves in the Indie music scene if they keep up the good work and a get
a few breaks here and there.
