I’m From Barcelona
Who Killed Harry Houdini?
Mute; 2008
Guest Contributor: Marc Brubaker
Led by Emanuel Lundgren, I’m From Barcelona crashed onto the indie pop scene two years ago sporting a misnomer (they’re from Sweden, not Spain), carrying an aptly titled debut album, Let Me Introduce My Friends, and garnering praise from music journalists and bloggers everywhere. The album release was timed perfectly for April, as Lundgren’s cleverly crafted pop songs were rounded out by a horde of his friends lending their sundry talents to craft impeccable summer jams. This fall, Emanuel and the gang return with Who Killed Harry Houdini? – a mature collection of balanced indie music also launched at just the right moment. The songs are brooding yet playful, making for a fantastic addition to any autumnal playlist.
From the opening notes of the first chord, one can tell that this band has matured and improved, despite how well off they already were. As the line “we could need someone like you in our band” – from the opening track “Andy” – floats out the speakers, one ponders how a band with over twenty people could possibly need another member. However, one of the most phenomenal aspects of this album is that it does not sound like a large group of musicians created it. The songs on Who Killed Harry Houdini? are full of rich, shadowy tones and an immense, complex depth, but they are layered in such a manner so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, much like a full-bodied red wine or well-pulled shot of espresso. Each of these aspects builds upon its antecedent without becoming overwhelming, providing a pleasant, comforting experience for the listener.
Some hesitancy is required in describing the feel of this album in comparison to the band’s previous work; one would be remiss to casually declare it darker as the interpretation would be a gross oversimplification. While tracks like “Music Killed Me” provide insight as to how the band has arrived at this murkier sound, the subject matter often bounces between moody and lighthearted. The crescendo-laden “Houdini” is exceptional – at once both sinister and joyous, grabbing the listener and never letting go as it romps along, begging everyone to join in the chorus.
The pacing of the album is executed with outstanding precision; thus, there really is no singular standout track on Who Killed Harry Houdini? because there also does not happen to be a weak tune among the set. The best song on the album will vary with each listener because Lundgren and his crew of music-makers have worked their special kind of magic to orchestrate a nearly flawless album sure to please citizens of the indie pop realm all over again.
Marc Brubaker is a graduate of Texas A&M University; he currently works as a photographer, curator, and barista extraordinaire who occasionally uses his Creative Writing degree. You can find his work at Click. Wind. Repeat. or find him behind the counter of Taft Street Coffee in Houston, TX.