WYWH (Bonus Track Version)

iTunes Review

Stockholm, Sweden’s the Concretes have added a few dance moves to change up their twee indie-pop. The extra beats give them more leeway when they perform at a leisurely pace. “Good Evening” begins the set in the corner of a dark bar, its promises of a better night still just that as the band ease into position. “My Ways” adds bouncy beats and a synth that screams, “Bring back the ‘80s.”  This leg-warmer pop hits a Nico-like pout for “Crack In the Paint,” where a solitary organ runs circles around the stalling beats. “I Wish We’d Never Met” plays like a mainstream ballad from another era, as if the news of musical trends were actually slow to get to Sweden. “All Day” and “Oh My Love” play like nostalgic pop ballads that wouldn’t be out of place as the soundtrack to Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki’s Proletariat trilogy. “Sing for Me” is swallowed deep with reverb. The title-track ticks with an expectation for greater things as the sound expands into the terrain of ABBA. The “Bonus Track Version” includes three additional cuts: a stripped- down version of “All Day” and the excellent “Take Me Back” and “Devil By Your Side.”