It’s For Us – Malax (EP – Novoton)
Genre/Influences: Post-punk, wave-pop.
Format: Digital.
Background/Info: It’s For Us is back after having released their successful “Stay”-second album. “Malax” features four new songs that were recorded in Malax, a place in Finland, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Content: If you’re already familiar with “It’s For Us” and their post-punk, wave-pop/indie-rock sound you’ll easily recognize the band throughout these new songs. The music remains inspired by the 80s post-punk years mixed with some indie-pop/rock elements. On top of it all Camilla Karlsson is singing with passion and rage. The songs are rather powerful while carried by strong choruses –especially for the last track.
+ + + : I like EP’s featuring different- and exclusive songs. That’s what makes this work unique and brings some extra to the fans. Sound-wise It’s For Us remains faithful to their sound formula mixing 80s influences together with an indie approach. The passion and fury of the vocals are perfectly appropriated to this work dominated by powerful cuts such as “The Fight”, “The Good Life” and “You’re The One”. It’s For Us simply confirms the strong potential exposed at the “Stay”-album.
– – – : The songs remain pretty short; two of them even not going over the 3 minutes. From the tracklist the softer sounding “Trouble” is the single piece that couldn’t convince me.
Conclusion: This EP might be seen as a cool little extra to the “Stay”-album; this is powerful party music for 80s nostalgia.
Best songs: “The Fight”, “The Good Life”.
Rate: (7½).
Artist: www.facebook.com/itsforusmusic
Label: www.novoton.se / www.facebook.com/Novoton
About It’s For Us
It’s For Us is a post-punk band from Stockholm, Sweden, led by singer Camilla Karlsson alongside Jon Gredmark. The band released its debut album, “Come With Me”, in 2017 through Luxury Records, followed by the second album “Stay” in 2019 via Novoton, the label that also released the “Malax” EP. Karlsson later launched the solo project Viola Travels, debuting with the “Bloodline” EP.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
