Taken from the daily newsletter of the CMUnetwork in the U.K

ALBUM REVIEW: AK Momo - Return To NY (Peacefrog)

 

This delightful debut album from Swedish duo Anna Karin and Mattias Olsson taps into the 60s in a way that the likes of Broadcast used to do, but whereas that group couched their art in a slightly clinical retro futurist sound, straight from the lab, 'Return To NY' has a more organic feel, with, in the album's gorgeous sampled string sounds, some of the best use of the mellotron since OMD's 'Architecture & Morality'. The high-pitched, slightly twee vocals of Karin also recall chanson and modern day noirish torch songs (think Portishead, Alison Goldfrapp or even Gamine), whilst there's a slight kookiness to the vocals which will go down well with fans of Kate Bush, Bat For Lashes and Joanna Newsom. Admirers of Saint Etienne's Scandinavian period may well find much to enjoy too. Sonically beguiling in its use of vintage electronics and radio crackle, 'Return To NY' is equally alluring in the fatalistic black white portraits the richly warming melodies and haunting vocals help paint. You could fault the running time (only 35 minutes seems criminally short), but little else - this is an intoxicating listen.

 

MS

In just a couple of days AK-momos debut album Return to N.Y will be released by the ever so clever and stylish label Peacefrog in the U.K
 
But things are already on the move….
 
We have been chosen by the A & R worldwide to be Artist of the week which is of course very flattering…
 
They described it like this…(interesting single..!)
 
AK-Momo is the latest export from Stockholm, Sweden. The duo met through mutual friends and consists of Anna Karin von Malhmborg, aka AK, and Mattias Olsson. While AK handles the vocals, Olsson provides the music and the rest is magic. Formed six years ago, AK-Momo recorded the early demos for their debut album, Return to N.Y., in six days, writing two songs each day. After the brief recording sessions together, Anna returned to London and Olsson went back to working with other bands. Two months later, Olsson began finishing the tracks by adding some Mellotron and Orchestron into the final mixdown. “One might wonder why this idea didn't surface earlier but I think that it has a lot to do with vocal textures and fitting other sounds around the Optigan. Anna Karin’s voice fitted very well in with the Optigan and Mellotron which gave everything a profile and face more than just some weird collage-type mess,” Olsson said. The final result is the debut album filled with beautiful vocals mixed with vintage electronic music, very reminiscent to Portishead and the vocals of Kate Bush. The first offering, “Women To Control,” could have very easily been included in the original motion picture soundtrack for Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, if only the song was created back in 1960. For additional information on this Swedish duo, log on to www.myspace.com/akmomomusic.
 
To listen to the single “Don’t Stop Believe,” click HERE.
 
But maybe even more interesting is the very kind review we got in the notable and ever so classic U.K magazine NME
 
AK-momo – Return to N.Y
 
7/10
 
The wonky Mellotron that dominates Swedish duo AK-momos debut was the instrument that provided the sweetness to The Beatles Strawberry fields. However its Anna Karin Von Malmborgs vocal, reminiscent of Kate Bush, dripping with saccharine, that stands out here. This could become far too twee were it not for the jealous hearted beats, crackles, tremulous synths and creepily sexual lyrics: “ I fucked you and you fucked me so tenderly” Malmborg sings with insouciance on Only the stars, a tale of nocturnal coitus in grenwich park. “Hollywood” and the sinister “human clones”, on the other hand, are akin to Grimms Fairy tales reinterpreted by Portishead. This record is like a limited edition run of sweetened Marmite, and all the more brilliant for it.
 
-         Luke Turner.
 
 
What can I say…Very kind and flattering words indeed.