Review Summary: A healthy serving of sweet, delicate chamber pop.
As yet another product of the pop-producing factory that is Sweden, Sambassadeur certainly have quite a lot to live up to. In circumstances like these, it is oftentimes best to play it safe and concentrate on getting the basic things right - which is exactly what Sambassadeur appear to have done on
Migration. In fact, the band may have stuck to this philosophy a little too faithfully - even the cover art appears to be trying its absolute best to not attract attention to itself, cowering as it is under sheets of murky brown. But, assuming that you
do tempt fate and decide to haul this one off the shelves, the album turns out to be a release that is surprisingly adept at establishing itself as a step in the right direction.
Album opener "The Park" sports some fabulously lush arrangements; a gentle acoustic guitar cleverly works itself in amidst the riot of a harmonious string section, whilst gentle timpani beats pad the song in the background. Vocalist Anna Persson's first contribution is a cathartic one - her dreary yet pensive vocals bring about a swollen cascade of emotions, none of which have to do with the twang of mediocrity; in fact, her sultry performances add such a delightful sense of candour to proceedings that one might actually be tempted to let out an inward sigh when alternate vocalist Daniel Permbo takes over the wheel for "Someday We're Through" and the album-closing "Bonus Track".
Other arrangements on
Migration are equally as commendable; lead single "Final Say" is a pulsing, beat-driven track that is - at first - oddly reminiscent of Swedish compatriots Roxette; one might actually half-expect Per Gessle to appear and implore listeners to pray for Jefferson's soul. Fortunately however, this mild sensation of
deja vu is quick to pass, and it is eventually replaced by the gritty baroque feel that Sambassadeur call their own. Then, if one sets aside the ethereal moments invoked by the instrumental number "Calvi",
Migration's peak will undoubtedly lie with the elegant "Subtle Changes"; the track is superbly rung in by some rich string work, and hurtles itself at listeners with a torrent of disco hi-hats and well-orchestrated drums that never fails to please.
Overall, the only real fault that one might find with this release is its lack of explosive moments - those bits where a band truly hit it out of the park and leave their listeners blinking in pleasant surprise. Still, much worse things have come out of sophomore releases cultivated in pressure-cooker environments; if one is prepared to look beyond these minor hiccups, then there's some solid - if altogether brief - fun to be had here.
