The Ballroom Band
Album: Skebobruk Sessions
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 11
Website: https://www.theballroomband.com

Regular readers of Fatea will know that we've featured quite a lot of Scandinavian bands on our pages, with The Ballroom Band being relative frequent visitors to our pages covering both albums and EPs and now their most recent album, "Skebobruk Sessions" now adding to that volume of material.

Skebobruk is located in the Swedish countryside with the album being recorded at a haunted mansion/mill, part of which has been converted to a pub/bar. Lead singer of the band Martin Frontman swears blind that during the course of one night, he felt himself being tucked in by an unseen element whilst the Ballroom Band were at the venue recording their new album.

Americana influences combined with rock and blues have been the band's stock in trade over the last few releases and if something works, there isn't a lo9t of pressure to change it, well except for keeping it fresh and original, something which only the ultra-churlish would claim that this cut lacks.

Recording in English, it's undeniable to claim that this album has been influenced by both the US and UK blues boom, but it's equally to deny that the Ballroom Band have not melded them into something that is their own, as surely as a chef will claim his own signature dish even if he's using ingredients and inspiration from the preceding generation, he is the one that has brought them into something that is recognisable, but ultimately their own.

There is a behind the chicken wire honky-tonk quality to the album, but there are a couple of tracks on the album where sound and arrangements take on a more rounded feel, including a song that for me has a real standout feel, "Hard Times". It may be a coincidence that the song also includes guest vocals from Linda Strom and gives a really good sense of what the already highly talented Ballroom band could deliver if they chose to permanent female vocalist to their impressive line up.

"Skebobruk Sessions" really goes a long way to highlighting just how meaningless the term Americana is becoming, though whatever term does eventually get applied, The Ballroom Band are playing in the top league

Neil King