division of laura lee

black city

‘It’s official. The American music scene is a becoming a thing of the past. The Swedish have invaded and the last of the influential bands are dying somewhere in the midwest, with the Vagrant bands running scared like the French forces.

Prepare for an attack. DOLL is bringing their forces, including “Black City,” onto the mainland and they’re moving fast.

How can you not give a band whose opening track is entitled “You Need to Get Some” credit? What a way to kick off an album.

The album continues along this path, screaming vocals that attempt to make surface-level criticisms about society based on the rough and tough stories of their childhood (“The Truth is Fucked,” “I Guess I’m Healed”). Even in the most sincere attempts to express deeply personal sentiments, the music is still accompanied by the head-bopping, fist flailing typical of this type of music.

How do the band members feel about DOLL? Well, Per Stalberg (guitars/vocals) is gaining a reputation for making statement such as this one made in the November14, 2002 issue of Rolling Stone: “We can’t lie about it – we know that we’re one of the best bands there is. It’s not like we’re bragging. We just are.” Holy pretensions, Batman.

While the band is good, pretty high quality actually, they are cut from the same cloth as The Hives. There is very little difference in the sound of the two bands.

Division of Laura Lee represents nothing new to the ears of the masses. They’re songs consist of the retried and still true method of mod rock that is being produced in droves in Sweden and, apparently, the rest of the world. Whatever they do, though, they do it well. As a result, Sweden can finally clear their name of ABBA, Roxette, and Ace of Base.

Starting slowly with The Cardigans, the Swedish invasion began. The Refused moved in quietly. Now, it is hard to distinguish between American and Swedish bands. The International Noise Conspiracy, Millencolin, The Hives, and The Hellacopters have all paved the road from Europe into our airwaves.

Powered by the fuel of “Need to Get Some” and “The Truth is Fucked,” Division of Laura Lee won’t seem to be going anywhere for a while. So, prepare yourself ladies and gentlemen. This invasion is going to last a long time.