bob hund
Dödliga klassiker
Woah Dad!

The dog is back! Swedish rock veterans bob hund have returned with a new album, their first in four years since 2012's Låter som miljarder. Since then, bob hund threw this 'crazy' stunt selling all of their equipment (instruments, amps, everything) to find a new start, from scratch. We'll see if this new album holds some mortal classics, hence the album's title.

The band have had a busy time since their last album. In 2013, the year they arranged their 'everything-must-go' sale, they also released a series of prank singles (digital only): The series counted 12 pieces entitled "C#", "D", "A", "C", "F", "F#", "D#", "G", "E", "Bb", "G#" and "B". They were short, and... Well, you have probably guessed what they were about, right? In May 2013 they launched a more serious single (7" as well as digital), entitled "Billiga lösningar till varje pris". Two months later (just after their big sale) they published another 'digital double' called "Åh döds" featuring two new songs, the smashing "Åh döds" and "Alla ackord samtidigt". The latter translates as 'All the chords at the same time' Get it? All chords at the... Last year they released a live recording called #bobhundopera (both on vinyl as well as digitally), from their night at the opera, Malmö's Opera house in September 2014. Last year they also launched the first tasters from this new album, and by the album's arrival they've served four singles from Dödliga klassiker (Mortal Classics), starting with Blommor på brinnande fartyg (featuring Popkollo) last December 2015. March 2016 saw a new seven inch single, the Salsa-funky-juicy "Brooklyn Salsa". Back in April the fabulously catchy Hjärtskärande rätt (digital only) appeared, before "Din piñata" (also a vinyl item, on 7") arrived in August. And, yes, I almost forgot to mention guitarist Conny Nimmersjö's way cool solo debut of last summer.

All facts aside, bob hund have returned with a joyous album. "Hjärtskärande rätt" ('Heartbreakingly right') is ace, as it enters the bob hund's hall of fame as a signature song. The groovy "Brooklyn Salsa" is also quite cool and dancy, as is the Tex-Mex tinted "Din piñata". As usual, singer Thomas and his pals are true jokers and excellent entertainers. On record as well as on stage. Well, especially on stage. Thomas sings about being top of the class (your class) and being the clown of the working class. Yes, bob hund is heavy on jokes and word play. All the time. That said, they're also dead serious when needed, punching out songs of lyrical substance. You might say they're a band with lyrical double edges. I often find bob hund albums to be, well, up and down in quality, but this time they seem to have refound and re-booted their energy and stamina. They have revisited their youth source. Not everything works well, of course, and I am not too keen on "Blommor..." ('Flowers on burning ships'). But then again, the charm of bob hund (and Thomas!) helps quite a lot, even though if a song isn't of the coolest. This time they manage to introduce us to a nice bunch of songs. "Hjärtskärande rätt" is fantastic, the energetic "Rocka billigt" is cool, and "Underklassens clown" works well, but I'm also intrigued by the closing "After Work-musik" - a song which manages to repeat and re-cycle the chorus from the second last song, "Hollywood nästa" ('Next Stop Hollywood'). The band is flirting with a Hollywood ending, but if you know the band you know that they never seek the easy, happy endings. Which is a good thing. I guess this is the reason why they live on and on. Maybe for 25 more years.

Copyright © 2016 Tore H. Hund