Architecture In Helsinki

Yeah, so thank you, Mike Ward for ending recipe week. I thought I would really enjoy that, but just wasn't in the mood for it all, this week or last. So I'm doing a music review instead and I'm really excited about it.

The Recommend: Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This

This album is sooooo good. I've had this album for well over a year now and it is still one of the few albums I listen to at least once a week, and certainly the only one that I listen to over and over again without interruption.

I have no idea if any of AIH's other albums are any good because this is the only one I've ever heard, but it makes me think that their other albums are probably amazing as well. This band sounds like a bunch a muppets, and that's all I can think about when I listen to them. Just and try and listen to this music and not picture Red, Boober and Gobo from Fraggle Rock.

On the first few listens to this album, I thought they sounded harsh and too artsy/weird for my taste, but it totally grew on me. Lyrics that I initally thought were childish like, "My mom thinks she's in love with you", "Wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah", and "Ey yi yi wooh wooh" I eventually grew to love. These songs come off with such energy and vibrance that you can tell the band is puting their all into it, and having a great time doing it. There are no depressing or somber songs on this album at all.

The most interesting feature of this album is that while there are a few tracks that are slower or less intense, it still feels like the album's energy is building the whole time and that the slower songs are just generous breaks for the listeners to catch their breath, and not duds or throwaway songs.

Overall, the album is a jumbled mix of so many different styles and influences that it comes out feeling new and different from anything else. You could certainly identify some of their influences if really try, but even the ones that I'm hearing aren't half as fun as AIH. Here are videos examples of their sound and goofiness. If you do like these songs, there are at least three other songs on their 10-song album that are better than these.