Swedish band Park Hotell has been around since the mid-2000s, but were stuck in dead-end record deals that got them little exposure. Eventually reclaiming their master recordings, they released an EP in 2007 (lead single “Low On Resistance” was mixed by Bjorn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn and John), followed by their debut album, Free For Friends, in 2008.
But it’s only now that Park Hotell is open for business across the Atlantic. In March, the band made the very long trip from Luleå, Sweden, a town that lies just below the Arctic Circle, to perform at a SXSW showcase in Austin and a club gig in New York City. Both came ahead of Park Hotell’s U.S. debut full-length, Layers, a compilation of a dozen songs from their previous European releases.
“Dead Ringers” is the lead track on Layers, and the one that initially caught my ear with its mix of New Order and The Smiths. The lyric, “Who’s up for a fight tonight?,” and the way frontman Christian Ramirez sings it are especially Morrissey to me. The sentiment is borne from Park Hotell’s roots in Luleå, which like New Order and The Smiths’ own Manchester, is a northern industrial town:
“Towns like this bring forth a special kind of pop music: it’s often just a little bit faster, a little bit harsher, and a bit more heartbreakingly real than your average indie act,” a statement on the band’s website reads. “It’s out of necessity — you have to be ready to move real fast. In case a local thinks you’re anything else than a hard-working, hockey-loving man’s man. So you play fast, you learn to fight, and you learn to stay true to your ideas. Because if you’re getting beat up anyway, you might as well do something worthwhile between the punches.”
“Dead Ringers” features additional vocals by Johanna and Miriam Berhan, twin sisters who also make up Stockholm duo Taxi! Taxi!. No one would dare punch a girl, let alone two. Still, I don’t suggest Park Hotell take the tempo down. Their faster-paced pop suits them well and certainly sets them apart.
Purchase Park Hotell – “Dead Ringers” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.
