It’s an odd little album, this.  Part Baroque pop, part twee indie, part experimental, slightly orchestral pop music.  I don’t exactly love all of it by any means, but it’s fascinating and there are some truly brilliant moments.

It’s a difficult review to write, this, because I couldn’t wholeheartedly say that I love this album, but I would most certainly say that when the harmonies kick in, when the melodies click, when it all makes sense, then this as good a record as I’ve heard in ages.  It can be all the Summery pop that every Swedish band in the world seems to wish it might be.  But that kind of burrowing exploration comes, from time to time, at the expense of the pop sensibility.

Given the number of people out there pimping themselves for a single memorable hook it seems slightly mean-spirited to complain that the sort of exploratory process that brings Mr. Sonnenberg so many infectious melodies occasionally leads him astray, but it does.  Lose it, of course, and the inspiration might well follow it into the distance.  So what we’re left with is a slightly obscure, slightly guarded journey on which Jon Sonnenberg scuffles about within the inner recesses of his musical attic and emerges, sometimes bearing long-lost fine china, and sometimes bearing a tatty old pair of pants that his great grandfather last wore in 1876.

Some of this is just fantastic, some of it doesn’t quite work.  I’ve no idea if I mean to be positive or negative about this review, but in general I reckon you should explore this record.  It’s peculiar at times, but from time to time there are moments of genuine clarity that many a chart-whore would give their right arm for.

Jon Sonnenberg – D.O.A.
Jon Sonnenberg – Pacific
Jon Sonnenberg - Everything Lies in Ruins

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Well I’m off for a bit over the next couple of days.  Once again the splendid Campfires & Battlefields has volunteered to hold the fort while I’m away.  I did think it would be a good idea to get other folk to guest post – regular commenters around here like DC (I assume you’ve not got even close to enough time for this), Bart, Euan, Dylan or folk like that, but ultimately I left it too late to have the time to set someone else up with the basics.  Next time, maybe.  It would be nice to see what other people made of things from this side of the software.

I have to confess I am desperate for the break.  Proper Job has been hectic recently, with new systems causing all sorts of problems and having to teach new employees some really very complicated software, all at the same time as an unrealistically tight deadline looms for a very important new client.  I wasn’t even involved in the project from the beginning either, just parachuted in at the end with enough ignorance to be clueless and enough responsibility for this to be something of an issue.  Oh what fun.

Then there’s the label.  And the launch party (next Saturday, so you’d better fucking be there).  And the floors in the house being sanded.  And the last Toad Session to sort.  And Mrs. Toad’s brother has been rather ill (as of half two this morning).  And on and on and on.  And we don’t even have fucking kids.

Sorry, this wasn’t supposed to be the Great Big Post of Interminable Self-Pity.  Just to say that I’m going away, I could do with a rest, and please be nice to C&B in my absence.  To those lurkers out there: when someone is doing us all a favour by keeping the Good Ship Toad pottering along in my absence, this would be a perfect and very gracious time to de-lurk and say hello and let us know what you think of the music he chooses.

Have fun y’all.  Play nicely while I’m away.

Ndidi Onukwulu – SK Final Don’t ask me why I like this, I just do.  Just steadily turning into a dried up old queen, I guess, but she’s worth checking out and I’ll probably review the album properly next week.
Bowerbirds – In Our Talons
Jon Sonnenberg – DOA