Soundtrack Of Our Lives � Behind The Music
Label: Republic / Universal
Rating: 
 

Sweden's Soundtrack of Our Lives returns with their third full length album that follows in the psychedelic rock tradition of their previous work but presents things a bit more straightforward manner. 

The surprising thing is despite using a 60's rock formula this band sounds remarkable modern, as if this is what modern rock should sounds like. The songs feature interesting layers of instrumentation while the vocals carry the day melodically. They start out very strong with the driving "Infra Riot" and things only better when they getting the drum heavy second track "Sister Surround". Another standout track, "Mind the Gap," echoes a bit of Derek and the Domino's and the more melodic moments of Cream. "Broken Imaginary Time" is a trippy ballad that would fit perfectly on the Moody Blues' "To Our Children's Children's Children".  "21st Century Rip Off" has a T Rex meets The Stooges vibe, in fact is sounds exactly like something Marc Boland would have written and it's very reminiscent of "20th Century Box". The group's mix of psychedelic electric guitars and acoustic guitars on several tracks give the songs a crispness and really emphasis the multi-layered sound, a sound that would make Phil Spector proud! 

Soundtrack of Our Lives is more consistent on this album sonically than their previous two efforts and the songs manage to convey a feeling of taking the late sixties era Stones and Pink Floyd and transplanting them in 2002 as they capture the essence of the era gone past yet at the same time the music doesn't sound dated. 

Fans of the "Welcome to the Infant Freebase" and "Extended Revelation for the Psychic Weaklings of Western Civilization" albums should be pleased with this album. For those who never heard Soundtrack of our Lives but like the psychedelic rock sound of the 60's or even the modern psychedelic power-pop feel of BRMC should welcome Soundtrack of  our Lives with open arms. While the music might be a bit to abstract and complex for the mainstream, this album should have no problems finding an audience with astute fans of rock. Then again Republic has a lot of muscle and if any label can carry this music to a mainstream audience they can. The music is certain worthy of wide praise but again it might simply be too good for the masses that usually opt for more simplistic hook-heavy and inane music of today's pop world. Nevertheless, Soundtracks of our Lives are to be commended for creating another exception rock album in an era where such albums are few and far between.