When you take a look back through Millencolin‘s archive, it’s easy to see the band has changed considerably from the days of ‘Life on a Plate’. As with most bands there are the fans who still cling to the records of days gone by, and those that continually appreciate the change in music any artist takes. Either preference is to be respected, however obvious it is that Millencolin are not the same band they once were. Or are they?
‘Home From Home’ starts in such a rock-esque fashion it would be easily mistaken for another band, if not for the infinitely unique and recognisable vocals of the lead, Nikola, whose style contributes infinitely to the appeal of the band. ‘Man or Mouse’ is relatively slow, using the fabled ‘yeah yeah yeah yeah’ yell which works surprisingly well. It isn’t in a rush to go anywhere (much to my initial dismay), however give it a few listens and it slowly endears itself to your ears; there is something inherently cool about the mixture of a lone base and Nikola’s strained statements, the only criticism being that it instantly reminds you of the Hive’s ‘Hate to say I told you so’. Still, blank it out and you should be fine. ‘Fingers crossed‘ is what I was looking for when the CD first spun up, an instant fix of pure Millencolin with lightning fast lyrics and excellent support vocals. It has that immunitable Millencolin charm about it, reminding me instantly of ‘Bullion’, especially as it builds toward the climax. The song is rewarding however, and to consign it to the superficial quick fix bin full to the brim with mundane pop punk is utterly unfair – this song is fucking ace.
‘Black Eye’ reverts back to a slower rhythm, a song constructed well, begging for you to sing along especially on the chorus – ‘I know that you can see it my eyes, I’m not myself right now, my biggest problem is to compromise… I show my tragedy with my black eye’, which is a welcome follow on from the previous track. ‘Montego’ is a slightly weaker track, with a bizarre bridge composed of stereo-tastic voices before Nikola comes screaming back in. It’s listenable, but by no means up there with the rest of them. Upon first hearing ‘Punk Rock Rebel’ you could be forgiven for thinking it just plain annoying, especially due to the chorus that just doesn’t seem to work – fortunately an incredibly catchy little guitar riff saves it from spoiling the album; but damn, it comes close. ‘Kemp’ is spookily similar to ‘Man or Mouse’, but cheekily manages to get away with it, as you curse Millencolin for making a track so listenable and likeable. Around 1:47 that distinctive drumbeat shows it’s face, and i’m instantly reminded of ‘Duckpond’ from PP; no bad thing I suppose, Millencolin know what sounds good and this is no exception.
‘Botanic Mistress’ equates to the album’s ‘Fox’, and for this the band must surely be marked down; it follows the formula of PP, utilising the same bounding rhythm, encouraging you to pogo in ecstatic fashion. Despite the fact it’s enjoyable, I can’t help but think they’re trying to replicate ‘Fox’. ‘Happinness for Dogs’ has all the good ingredients for a good song; medium pace, a gritty style complemented with short and sweet lyrics; life isn’t peachy, and boy are Millencolin good at showing it; ‘Battery Check’ is another example of excellent songwriting; that drum rhythm I love so much, and a constant switch between a harsh cold and a welcoming warm like someone pulled and shoved back and forth – basically this song rocks, and I grant you’ll find it among the most rewarding on the album. ‘It isn’t the band’s job to piss you off however, and ‘Fuel to the Flame’ displays a humorous side and feel good factor seen in so many of their other works; couple this with a nice bit of palm mute and a confusingly loveable chorus ‘Cos I’ve been living in a dream, and its you who are that dream, and you’ve already come true’, a song which is as optimistic as it is enthusiastic. ‘Afghan’ as you might have gathered already, is political, aimed primarily at the American administration, but the moral unmasked can apply on a far smaller scale to any individual who follows the pattern.
‘Greener Grass’ is in the typical Millencolin style seen on PP, and is good but not groundbreaking; fortunately however, ‘Home From Home’ is the kind of song to lift you up and inspire equally; it’ll probably help spawn a thousand bands, and this can only be a good thing – ‘For six weeks I had this job, cleaning the local hospital, the pay was o.k but I didn’t like to swab, so I changed it for a bass guitar’; Millencolin finish in style, and we see it was worth the wait for this record. It isn’t incredible by any means, with a couple of weaker tracks pulling it down slightly. If you’re looking for a summer record you’ve been spoilt for choice recently. This is just gonna make that choice a lot harder…
nick