Social Ambitions – A New Frontier (Album – Social Ambitions)
Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Swedish duo Social Ambitions was set up in 2005 by Anders Karlsson (vocals, synths) and Mikael Arborelius (synths, backing vocals). The band released several productions by Electric Fantastic Sound and even one album by the now defunct A Different Drum. They got a bit lost from the radar but last year came back with this self-released new opus.
Content: This album stands for good-old ‘synth-pop’. It gives you a happy feeling by the catchy structures and melodic arrangements. The first part of the album is pure old-school Electro-Pop composed with analogue gear and effects. The second part of the work is somewhat more diversified, even revealing some Indie-Pop passages.
+ + + : This album is definitely an item for Synth-Pop freaks. The analogue sound treatments still have this original magic. Pay attention for the tune running through “Turn The Tables” to feel the vibes. Social Ambitions stroke back with style, revealing a well-crafted production. I also have to say a word about the production of the vocals, Anders Karlsson being a talented singer who can sing pretty high like illustrated at “Show Me Love”.
– – – : My only regret is the final part of the album; both last tracks being less convincing.
Conclusion: Don’t buy this album for its originality, but simply because it’s a mature and accomplished Synth-Pop production.
Best songs: “Turn The Tables”, “Kincroft Chaos”, “Space”, “Show Me Love”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: www.socialambitions.com / www.facebook.com/socialambitions
About Social Ambitions
Social Ambitions is a Swedish synthpop duo formed in 2005 by Anders Karlsson (vocals, synths, lyrics) and Mikael Arborelius (synths, backing vocals). Discogs lists a series of digital singles on Electric Fantastic Sound from 2007 onwards, among them “Burning” and “Innocence” (2007), “The Strip” (2008), “Commandments” (2011) and “Skrämselhicka”, “Yoni Berlin” and “Berget” (2013). The albums “Almost Gone” (2010) and “Hunger” (2013) are on the band’s Bandcamp page, and the CD “Purgatorio 07-13” came out on the American label A Different Drum in 2013.
“A New Frontier”, described on Bandcamp as the third full-length album, was self-released digitally on 12 June 2020; a CD limited to 200 copies in a digipak followed in 2021. The eleven tracks are “Space”, “I Want You, I Need You”, “Kincroft Chaos”, “Reckless Child”, “Turn The Tables”, “Chemicals”, “Temper”, “Show Me Love”, “Everytime”, “Young Hearts” and “Do You Remember The First Time?”. The duo wrote, recorded and produced the album and made the cover; Henrik Sunbring mastered it at Helter Skelter Studio. “Do You Remember The First Time?”, “Everytime”, “Temper” and “Space” were issued as singles in 2020.
Later digital singles are “Stars”, “The Summoning” and “Pay The Price” (2021), “Heaven” (2022) and “Time” (2023). “A New Frontier” is the album reviewed here.
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