State Of The Nation – Mirage (CD Album – State Of The Nation)
Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.
Background/Info: Tomas Gustafsson, Fredrik Sigeback (both also known as Erotic Elk) and Johan Siegeback are releasing their debut album “Mirage”. They previously released several EP’s.
Content: State Of The Nation is Swedish electro-pop that will make people happy. The sound is sweet, but danceable. Some guitar parts can be noticed now and then. Next to the more danceable cuts, the work also reveals a few, softer songs. The vocals are somewhat fragile-like, but perfectly matching with the music.
“Mirage” features 10 songs plus 4 remixes.
+ + + : “Mirage” is a real entertaining opus, which doesn’t really innovate in the electro-pop genre and yet, it doesn’t sound like a new ‘cheap’ copy from a leading formation in the genre. This albums has something pretty ‘Summer’-like for its ‘happiness’, but it also is an artistic piece of music. The songs are well-crafted and the sound production reveals a professional approach. I especially like the “Endless” song, which also is one of the most danceable ones, but in a different way I recommend “Complementary”, which is a short, but emotional cut.
– – – : The album is missing an absolute hit, but we get several cool songs instead. The remixes don’t really add a bonus to the work.
Conclusion: Sweden clearly reminds one of the most prolific countries when it comes to produce electro-pop music. I definitely prefer Erotic Elk, but State Of The Nation is something different and pretty cool as well.
Best songs: “Endless”, “Hamburg”, “Complementary”.
Rate: (7).
Artist: www.facebook.com/sotnsweden
About State Of The Nation
State Of The Nation is a Swedish electro-pop project formed by Tomas Gustafsson, Fredrik Sigeback and Johan Siegeback. Gustafsson and Sigeback also record as Erotic Elk, a project formed in 2009 in Vinslöv, Sweden; the pair had previously played together in the bands Kranium and Taskforce 1 during the 1980s, with Sigeback also a member of Showdown in the 1990s. The band’s name references the 1986 New Order single of the same title. State Of The Nation released several EPs before its debut album, “Mirage,” reviewed here. A single and video for “Burden”, featuring remixes by People Theatre and The Real Dreamers and filmed in and around Malmö, followed in January 2019.
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