SURROUNDED
Safety In Numbers (Deep Elm Records)
Reviewed by Erick Mertz

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The new album by Surrounded, Safety In Numbers, is one of moody, dreary and sometimes dreamy, nearly dour in places, descriptions of life in a dark domain. Marten Rydell's vocals are gargled over, like Tom Waits without the self-deprecating sense of humor. With flinty guitars laced over, the saddened voice of this place is sometimes hushed and tender, but it is always haunted. "On Top of the World" is a great emotional, looking up at you song, while maudlin gets a fresh shine with "Blood Orange Wheels" and "Better Not to Be So" where the fingerprints of contemporary emo artists Azure Ray and Idlewild are only a light dusting away.

While it is all of these things, Safety In Numbers lacks the sheer take off and landing of a great album. It creates a vivid enough picture, but somewhere along the course of its unfolding, the intrigue of this world is obscured as though much of the creative energy was expelled, convincing the listener of its validity. Surrounded could go places with this recipe, it just needs to go back in for detailing first.

© 2003 - Erick Mertz