Oband - It's the Tension [Demo]

July 13, 2009, 08:26 AM

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Imagine the Rolling Stones writing a new classic after all these years. It’s not that hard, because someone else already did it for them; Oband. The band are a little bit more brassy and a little bit more Swedish than the real Stones. They demonstrate on their 2009 demo ´It’s the Tension´ that rhythm, blues and the unique whining voice copyrighted by Mick Jagger still has a reason to live.

You can’t be too sure about the latter as Oband itself moves in slightly mysterious ways - last year they were on a break because of too many members emigrating, this year there’s suddenly a UK tour and a new demo which doesn't sound like their first (demo) album at all. So who they are and where they are isn’t completely clear at the moment, but what they do is make great, original, old-fashioned, hand-crafted music.

You could describe ´It’s the Tension´, the first song of the demo, as the sound of ´Satisfaction´ blended with the rhythm of ´Miss You´, but that wouldn’t be fair. Oband - not even claiming the Stones did influence them - is in fact an original band. But it’s the feeling of the Stones they generate, the vibe and the attitude. When listening to ´It’s the Tension´ you can see Jagger frolicking on stage and Richards bonding with his guitar and cigarette. It’s not about a hook, the lyrics or technical guitar playing, it’s the combination of the fuzzy guitar, the slow, steady rhythm, the heavy bass, the sharp, almost reciting vocalist and the subtle background vocals that makes this song swing.

Preceded by the banjo/ brass driven Americana-like ´Under the Lantern´, the other highlight on the demo is ‘Bedside Blues’, another example of the band taking a simple idea, the classic blues melody, and simply making it swing and cry.

´It’s the Tension’ and ’Bedside Blues’ make this album, despite being a demo and made by a band who’s whereabouts are as clean as troubled water in a blinded bottle with a blindfold on, this is the last great Stones record.

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