October 2, 2009

Album review: Mando Diao - 'Give Me Fire'

The Swedish outfit fail to fuel flames

Picking up the reins from ’90s mod revivalists such as Ocean Colour Scene, Sweden’s Mando Diao were never destined to be critical favourites. Their debt to The Jam and Oasis is clear for all to see, but five albums in their formulaic rock’n’roll schtick sounds painfully drained of enthusiasm. Singer Bjorn Dixgard’s throaty howl is dramatic but not distinctive, failing to bring to life any of the hackneyed melodies and lyrical clichés. Lead single ‘Mean Street’ attempts to inject some girl group sass, but lacks the necessary killer hooks to give it any real impact. Much like Jet, it’s difficult to escape the unerring feeling that without a major label budget Mando Diao would be little more than a top rate pub band.

Tom Edwards

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7.6

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