Things can fall apart

I love some good pop-rock. I've had trouble finding much this year (recommendations would be very welcome)--and the past few years, come to think of it--but Swedish group Fashion's "Blinded By The Dark" fits in that category.



Lead singer Jakob Erixson is the Erixson of Holter/Erixson, the production team perhaps best known for their remixes but also responsible for songs by Shirley Clamp and Kostas Martakis, amongst others. Fashion has apparently been around for a little while, but there may have been some forward motion in the past half-year. I don't know of an official single release date yet (though their site says an album, Eau de Vie, is coming this year), but at least Lionheart, the record company with which I think Jakob is affiliated as a songwriter, has mentioned them on their site now.

"Blinded By The Dark" is prettily mid-to-up-tempo pop that just happens to be played by a band. Supplemented by some chuggy backing effects (they first kick in during the second half of the first verse), humming, and piano, the song musically conveys the feeling of struggling to soar while being pulled back. I mean that as no insult--based on the lyrics, I think "troubled anthemic" as opposed to just "anthemic" is actually its goal.

Slightly tangentially, the best thing Oscar Holter and Jakke Erixson have ever done? The Holter/Erixson vs. Tom Bola remix of "Burn," one of the songs they wrote for now defunct Irish pop group Industry. Swooshy pop-dance remixes don't come much better than this.



There's nowhere to buy Fashion's "Blinded By The Dark" yet, but you can listen to several other songs on their official site here.