Sweden’s MORE is a new band, but their sound is over a decade in the making. The synth-pop trio’s roots lie in a cabin outside of Stockholm. There, founding members Mattias and Lino would meet a few times each year to create music. Their catalog of songs continued to grow but there was still one component missing. Finally they met lead vocalist and lyricist, Magnus and they knew the ensemble was complete.
MORE debuted earlier this year with the single “Sentimental Sounds” and the subsequent “Story Goes On.” Their moody and electronic Alt-Pop vibe quickly found a worldwide audience, with each song counting its number of streams in the thousands. That following is sure to continue growing exponentially with the release of their excellent new 5-song EP, EPONE.
The group’s sound is at once both retro and modern. The ghosts of Alternative Electronic heroes from the 80’s and 90’s haunt each programmed kick drum and ambient synth arpeggio. However, although history informs their sound it does not define it. The mood and sentiment of EPONE is straight out of 2020. From themes of looming ecological disaster to the contradictions and absolute confusion of modern love, the record is undoubtedly a product of right now.
The record opens with the slow Peter Gabriel-esque thump of the darkly prophetic “ECO-Unfriendly.” The song’s unsettling lyrical metaphors and minor key synth soundscape set the scene for what lies ahead. On “Story Goes On,” the group conjures the spirit of classic Depeche Mode. Magnus matches that musical mood with a view of romance through a black veil. Love with an ounce of pain is a theme he continues on the Cure-inspired “Huntsmen & Brides,” as he sings, “If only i could stop this bleeding heart. Then I wouldn’t have to feel so blue.”
“Sentimental Sounds” adds a little bit of funk to the melancholy. The track’s cool hi-hat play and breakbeat-style kick/snare create a perfectly Goth-friendly dance groove. I imagine if Julian Cope and Bauhaus were to collaborate, it might sound something like this tune. The record closes with the adventurous “At Night (Love Divine).” Trip-hop rhythms bounce off of percussive keys and ambient space. In his now signature dark tenor, Magnus delivers lyrics steeped in symbolism and double meaning like the fabulous title lyric, “Yes it’s true, you like me more at night.”
You can hear MORE on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. And follow the links below to connect with this exciting new group. Stay in the loop on all of their current and future projects. And dig in to EPONE.
Connect:
MORE on the Deep Indie Dive playlist
