More on: Petter & The Pix

Label: Gung Ho
Release Date: 12/05/08
Rating:

It might be a little over the top to say that Petter & The Pix are a Scandinavian folk-pop supergroup. With members from múm and GusGus onboard though, there should already be a growing fanbase for Petter Winnberg's first full length. Well, if you could actually call it a full length; at 27 minutes long, 'Easily Tricked' is only slightly longer than an extended EP. With time haemorrhaging through the hourglass from the outset, it's certainly fair to presume what follows will be the absolute best Petter and his gang can muster.

A false start builds a bendy riff on first track 'As A Soul', soon giving way to chirpy reggae guitar strokes. A very bright and upbeat beginning is dragged down when Winnberg's vocal pauses. A piano quickly replaces the funky opening in the latter third, and suddenly everything looks a little overcast. It's a shame too – carrying on in accordance with the opening minute or so, 'As A Soul' would probably be much better off.

'Blame' rolls up next, a much more refined track with a splash of bongos and a light touch of strings that sit slightly uncomfortably amidst a grim prediction that "joy is moving on". Avoiding the messy arrangement of its predecessor, it's a much more streamlined piece of music that sounds all the better for it. 'Blame' represents a moment of true quality where everything seems healthily balanced.

"Aggravation grows in our society" muses Petter at the start of the string-heavy 'Nevermind', a wholly predictable view on the global state of affairs. The lyrics are brushed aside in the mind quickly in favour of the moody electric guitar that quietly threatens in the background. 'Weak' is probably the highlight of 'Easily Tricked': solid acoustic strumming and pulsing bass sit behind a sultry synth as a subtle haunting sensation is provided by the slight echo in the vocals.

'Shine' is that all-important sunny Sunday morning anthem the band seems to be chasing on this record; a brief, faintly calypso-styled burst of guitar pop. A couple of mediocre songs later everything is wrapped up with the subtly dross 'Move On', a bare-bones ambient tune that sees the band repeating "you'd better move on" for the 55-second duration. The conclusion then is much different to the optimistic hope of the first paragraph. As it ambles on slowly, there is a sense that Petter & The Pix aren't going all-out, aren't pulling out all the stops and really pushing themselves. This in turn means some of the tracks present feel like they are there just to fill the gap. Filler on a record less than half an hour in length is frustrating, especially when there are some genuinely good ideas scattered throughout.

Graham Drummond

Petter & The Pix Myspace