With their debut album #lovestorm, Cologne-based band Groenalund have created their own take on ABBA-esque pop for the twenty-first century.
All songs bar one were composed by multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Martin Gerke. Mezzo soprano Karolin Biewald, and sopranos Mabel Winkler, and Sarah Schumacher create beautiful sounds in three-part harmony.
Songs range from 80’s-style disco pop with ‘I’m Sorry, I Love You’ and ‘We Keep On Dancing’, guitar-driven ‘Just A Story’, the beautiful choral ‘The Curse’, pure pop with ‘I Want You Back’, ‘Painting Black’, and ‘Whatever We Do To Music’, and the piano and strings of the gorgeous ballad ‘Forgiven’.
If I had to pick a favourite song, that would probably be the epic opening track ‘Eye Of The Hurricane’, with its intricate intertwined, impassioned vocals.
Of particular interest to ABBA fans is a version of the legendary unreleased 1982 track ‘Just Like That’. Groenalund’s version sticks close to the original ABBA recording. Fans will also notice a couple of ABBA touches in the CD booklet.
Guitarist Janne Schaffer, who played on around 50 of ABBA’s original recordings from 1972 right through to the final recordings in 1982, guests on four tracks, using instruments that he played on those ABBA recordings. Two tracks feature Martin playing instruments recorded at Benny Andersson’s RMV studio in Stockholm, including Benny’s legendary Yamaha GX1 synthesizer and Fazioli piano.
If you’re a fan of well-produced pop music, I highly recommend you give #lovestorm a spin. It’s available 13 January 2023 at groenalund.com.
ABBA Omnibus blog 