'Owls Reviews Pt.2

Owls - Carl Norén

With 'Owls' Carl Norén created a successful pop album. From tender - fragile singer/songwriter songs over electronical touched songs up until up tempo songs underlined by strings. On the debut album of the Sugarplum Fairy singer the whole spectrum of the radio friendly pop universe gets sounded out. Carl Norén makes his looks to a suitable media showcase project: The bon blonde scallywags hair, the pearly-white Nutella boy smile, the unexceptional well chosen indie clothes…and if you make such music on top of that you don't have to worry about your success. 

Exactly this media suitability could turn out as brake shoe for the real big success. If you hear a song like 'Going Out Tonight' in the radio you will notice the powerful voice, the catchy melody and the perfect production but the depth of focus, the intimacy and the seriousness of the music of Carl Norén doesn't become accessible. 'Owls' is a classic example for a record whose force only becomes accessible if you listen to it completely. In best cases several times in a row. And in best cases with headphones. The first three songs outstand that much with their diversity so that you could accentuate musically half a day to listen to them on repeat. 

On 'Tired Of Running' whose second part closes up in an equal melancholic way Norén shows himself very personally. „Baby I am tired of running / I have got my clown shoes on me / Baby I am tired of running / My only holiday is to hide away inside / A guilty conscience feeds on a healthy mind at night”. Such lines cawed by a Jazz-singer scarred by life and the depression is within reach - Carl Norén however wears the clown shoes to it, the pain has got a nice trendy, lively surface with him and therefor the contrast is even more within reach.

The next song 'New York' is a soft guitar ode to the city which is being extolled as sanctuary and future place of a hurt man. I’m leaving / I’m on may way / To New York / The new born / Sails away“. Noren's gentle but not flat voice which by all means proves the blood relation to his brother Gustaf, who is the singer of Mando Diao sings so endlessly sad and lost of "empty apartments", "shattered dreams and "broken promises" which he tries to leave and forget in New York. 

'The Anger' is the musical and lyrical synthesis out of the 2 first tracks. A stamping beat gets accompanied by a violin, framed by grief and anger: „I get so tired of the anger / And the tears / There are no stopping them […] / Will you love me if I cry? / Will you say ‚Hi’ /The day I die?”. Pop cannot be more beautiful. Of course, with such odes to the inamorata, dashed down on the street up in her apartment, the sob-stuff is just around the corner. But the sob-stuff is part of the life of a guy in his twenties, which have it all and at the same time have nothing, who don't have to worry about money and clear this thoughtful space of doubts and discord for loving and pining. And eventually Carl Norén's record has positive and connecting things for the wrangling night owls of the world, from Borlänge to New York: And I’m going out tonight / I wanna feel her / Oh I wanna feel her / Oh I wanna feel her / No more tears to hide / Oh I wanna feel your arms around me“, Carl Norén sings on 'Going Out Tonight', representatively for the collective aspiration of a human being.

Even the weaker tracks of the album like 'That's The Way I Like It' with its happy dance melody and pretty flat lyrics („That’s the way I like it / That’s how we dance […] / And if you don’t like it / Get out of here”) keep the positive overall impression. You forgive Carl those space-fillers because he gathers a few pop-pearls on 'Owls' which will remain. 

source: crazewire.de

Owls by Carl Norén

 

Everyone is taking about Victor Norén, when they in fact should be taking about his older brother. Look, there we got an embryo to the title of a precocious autobiography. Carl Norén's, that is.

But of course that requires the P3 listeners to rate his delicate pop novels in favor for his younger brother's more coquetry (but sticky) electro pop.

 

For distant, the accessible teenage rock that was Sugarplum Fairys' signum, Carl Norén demonstrates admireble skills of telling stories. Fictional diary entries, nicely composed with either an acoustic guitar or a piano ('Owls').

 

All together stylishly produced in company of Mats Björke from Mando Diao. This is not an album with a goal to reach Tracklistan (as if it still would have existed), although the qualities to get there are there. The singles 'The Anger' and 'Going Out Tonight' are irresistible P3-pop, spiced up with beautiful violines, but the fact is that the latter sounds better in the acoustic version that you could find as a bonus song on one of the singles. If it would have been on the album, it would have been the best track of the record.

 

From www.trelleborgsallehanda.se, translated by Celine Jacobs

 

Carl Norén - Owls

Contact the responsible health authority. The rampant solo virus has reached Sweden. Tiny all-clear signal: Only musicians of known bands are being hit by it. After USA (Casablancas, Flowers) and Great Britain (Smith, Healy) had to overcome an epidemic the north of Europe is now seized with it. The main symptom of the victim: Release of a record on which optionally a) the time between records of the main band is being bypassed or b) music, that (apparently) cannot be realized with the band is being worked up. Most of the time the record of the virus victim doesn't reach the quality of the output of the actual band and bribes with indifference. Sweden's youngest victim: Carl Norén of Sugarplum Fairy.

With his debut he says goodbye to the Rock'n'Roll of his combo and backs on quieter respectively more electronical moments. On the opener it's a computer beat and funk blowers, which surprise, with 'New York' follows an acoustic guitar piece. The songs on 'Owls' take turns in this regularity: first there's the song with the electro beat and/or funk influence after that the acoustic guitars, relatively the piano dominate. But to exactly the first category the slightly rough voice doesn't want to fit in. What works really well in the acoustic context, doesn't really fit in the funk costume because Norén lacks of the other- worldliness or actually the soul in the voice. In addition a really excellent song cannot be found even after several listenings. Neither a really bad one, for that the songwriting is much too accomplished of the man from Borlänge and the production of Mats Björke (Keyboarder of Mando Diao) too versed. You are neither being left flat nor disappointed, neither of the ballade 'Dawn' nor of 'The Anger' which somehow reminds of Gnarls Barkley. Therefor Norén shows a classical course of the solo virus. And proves one more time that band musicians work better with their band, than alone. 

source:soundmag.de

Carl Norén - Owls
Carl Norén is especially known to music fans as brother of Mando Diao frontmen Gustaf Norén and as singer and guitarist of the band Sugarplum Fairy. Now he delivers with 'Owls' his first solo record and diverges himself from the typical rock style of his band. The album, for which he wrote all songs by himself and produced all songs together with Mats Björke (Keyboarder of Mando Diao), opens with the disco - suited 'Tired Of Running'. But the bigger part of the record consists of acoustic songs which got played in mostly with acoustic guitars and soft piano sounds. His hymn to 'New York' could also come from Ryan Adams. Next to several ballades there's also room for a few songs that could be imagined in connection of a band. ('Going Out Tonight', 'That's The Way I Like It'). Friends of scandinavian rock music will feel at home pretty fast and could also get along with the quiet songs, which include many beautiful melodies.
source : allmymusic.de


Carl Norén's record is much about love. He found the inspiration at Ikea for instance. "To see a couple choose between different beds and fight about it, such things inspire me. If I would only take from my own life, it would get boring."  

New sides of Carl Norén

Carl Norén makes a solo debut like his brother and band colleague Victor Norén of Sugarplum Fairy. The record is called 'Owls'.

Now both the Borlänge brothers of Sugarplum Fairy go for their own solo careers. It is because of little brother Victor Norén, 25, is doing his own music under the name Viktorious, that Carl Norén, 27, last Wednesday released his solo debut 'Owls'.

- The record company rather wanted Victor solo than him doing another Sugarplum Fairy record. I got tired of the commercial and wanted to start writing my own songs, Carl Norén tells us.

- But I wasn't ready to go solo yet. If I would have controlled it myself, I would have waited a few more years.

Is there any competition between you and Victor?

- Yes, definitely. But it's more about attention from parents and grandparents. I'm on plus at grandmother and grandfather. We inspire each other to not be the one who end up in the shadow.

Last year Carl Norén went on tour as support act for Johnossi and big brother Gustaf Norén's band Mando Diao on their tours in Germany and played on big stages.

Now he wants to enter smalle stages.

- There's a gap between troubadours and signed artists who play at clubs I want to fill. I would like to play at cafés together with other bands, like the open scen you can find in New York.

The brothers' solo careers doesn't prevent a new Sugarplum Fairy record. But it will take some time.

- Me and Victor have talked about it. We've gotten a studio together and as soon as we got some time we'll write songs to Sugarplum Fairy. The other guys are studying.

And next year at this time, Carl Norén is counting on releasing solo album number two.

- I've already written four, five songs to it.

Published: in Swedish metro, translated by Celine Jacobs

Reviews of Owls Pt.1

Carl Norén - Owls

More Reviews! 

CARL NORÉN
OWLS

You technically can't expect much of the solo debut of the Sugarplum Fairy member. Or can you? Carl Norén surprisingly cuts solo a better figure than with Sugarplum Fairy. You can't deny that the majority of the attention for his band was due to his older brother Gustaf Norén (the beautiful of Mando Diao). Carl Norén frees himself of the chains of the indie rock and sounds much more dreamy, major and mostly more intelligent than his big brother ever did. "Owls" is of course no mile stone of the music history but it doesn't leave us clueless behind like other singer/songwriter records that disappear to the nowhere. And even if - it was nice for this moment. source:sally's.net

The middle brother Norén, guitarist in Borlänge's Sugarplum Fairy, has gotten rid of the rockstar and opened up his romantic side. No tense muscles, no bad attitude - instead the tenderly solo debut, produced with help from Mando Diaos' Mats Björke, has taken a step back. Sometimes the step is a bit too long.

When it comes to the single 'The anger', Carl Norén shows all means to create modern pop music with a self-confidence that probably moves between the genes. The track 'New York' is a bit like Andreas Mattson while the danceable 'Going out tonight' is more like Deportees. Owls is a great promise for the future with a talent to go even further.


Published: in today's Svenska Dagblad

I'm guessing Carl Norén has listened to both Lambshop and Damien Rice when he made this record. And maybe Nick Drake. Here's also some updated dance floor soul and Shout out louds-influences. The first verse in 'Tired of running' is melancholy clubish and danceable while the other is an acoustic piano ballad with Hedros and Hellberg content.

Although more than one of the songs got a hopeful appropriation, there are some nagging worry in the background through the whole production. Owls is a thoroughly made and sometimes arranged customized produced pop album. But Carl Norén always manage to maintain a fragmented indie nerve in what he does and will probably become a darling of many camps.

Published: in today's Falukurir

Translated by: Celine Jacobs

Carl Norén - Owls 


They could have done a Snook - go solo just to relase two almost identical albums. But there's no chance the two brothers' (Sugarplum Carl and Victor) solo albums will get mixed up.
From what I've heard of Viktorious songs, it sounds like an attempt to become the male answer to Britney Spears. Carl Norén got no such intentions. Instead he sits back, reads classics and listens to old dusty LPs.
I don't think I've ever heard such a brave album. It's like Norén has done the forbidden and been aiming to reach something like 'Blood on the tracks' or 'Darkness on the edge of town'. With a targeting like a sports star he has decided to do the rock album of the decade already now, eaten pasta, forced the soul back as well as his emotions and churn out all he got into eleven songs. It could have ended up like a disaster.
But together with the producer Mats Björke he has created a rarely thoroughly made record. Ballads with the right amount of butter, a bit like the Coldplay school, bouncy pop a la the 80s and Dylan dreams in 'Tired of running pt.2' makes the unobtrusive album to a given favourite on the playlists. However, it's far from a 'Blood on the tracks'.
Published: today at Expressen (Swedish newspaper)
Translated by: Celine Jacobs

Review on laxmag.de

Life isn’t always fair and especially not if it’s about brotherly relationships. So Sugarplum Fairy has to live ever since with the stamp :“the little brothers of Mando Diao, although Carl and Victor have founded their band earlier than brother Gustaf Mando Diao. Carl now has released a solo record, on which he will be mesured once again with his band and the band of his brother, with which he however goes into a totally different direction which might finally ground the way into independance.

Two things that attracted attention with the first single  The Anger: Carl’s eagerness to experiment with electronic sounds and the draught of the new sound. While in Sugarplum Fairy he shows the ‚rock pig’ with the naked upper body and the tight leather jacket, he seems on Owls much more emotional, thoughtful and more vulnerable.

The guitars get reduced, instead you can hear strings on almost all tracks  They are being used in a saving kind of way, as musical accompaniment, so the songs never degenerate into a cheesy bombast. Between titles like the overwhelming title song Owls or Brothers which sound as if they were covered in silk, songs like the fantastic Going Out Tonight stands out with its Up-beat, which without any doubt has the potential for a ‚Friday – Night – getting ready – to go out – hymn.

Carl Norén apparently gets his inspiration for lyrics from his literature studies. In any case, the 27 year old has released an unexpected, major and varied record, with which he hopefully gets accepted as autonomous artist.

Owls - Review on motormeinung.de

After years of the cracking garage rock with is band Sugarplum Fairy, Carl Norén presents with ‚Owls’ a surprising emotional solo record. They never existed together à la Jackson-Five, but the 3 brothers of the swedish family Norén are artisitcally inclined. The Norén-Three: The oldest Gustaf, voice of the indie rockers Mando Diao and the young thing Viktor, who constitutes together with the middle child Carl for over 10 years 20 percent of the garage –rock band Sugarplum Fairy.

Latter now goes solo and releases with ‚Owls’ a debut album which extends  the musical work of the Noréns, not only with another record but also to another style. The debut shows itself surprisingly calm and emotional, which the 27 year old Swede wrote and composed himself and produced it together with Mats Björke who is the Keyboarder of Mando Diao.

It starts off with the emotional and funky Tired of Running. The smugly voice of Norén gets wrapped in an ambience-disco style with clap beats and waves of synthizers. Acoustic songs like ‚New York’ and ‚Brothers’ slip out with less effort, on which the sympathic Swede only draws on an acoustic guitar, a little piano background, a contrabass and soft string trails.

The strings seem to have grown on Norén on his works on ‚Owls’. So there is barely a track without them. Once gloomy melancholic on ‚Spirited Away’, , once refreshing joyful on ‚That’s The Way I Like It’ – the strings benefit the mood of the songs noticeably. ‚Owls’ combines Singer-/Songwriter-melancholy with disco tracks. Tracks like ‚The Anger’ on which the Sugarplum Fairy influence is most noticeable and ‚Going Out Tonight’ match the opener with their lively way. 

So it happens that the ‚footwippnery’ gets hit. Near the end of the record he counts on piano sounds. The title track almost seems like a complete piano piece and also the second part of ‚Tired of Running’ lives of the force of the keyboards. The melancholy wins on the debut album of the swedish songwriter. Sugarplum Fairy fans be warned, the record doesn’t have much to do with the band Noréns.

Reason for this might also be the recent started literature studies, which apparently delivered fantastic stories and therefor opened the gate to new spheres to him. If you however approach ‚Owls’ without Fairy- prejudice you’re facing a genuine record – which is worth hearing. 

Carl does it on his own

Older brothers are great. Before Carl Norén had the confidence to start his solo project, he had to fill up some courage. Which he did 2009 as support act of Mando Diao , his brother Gustaf’s band. After a few concert in front of nearly 100'000 Mando –Fans Carl knew : The songs work. And disorted to the studio to record ‚Owls’. His band Sugarplum Fairy  (which he’s in with his younger brother Viktor) is on hold ever since. But why was Carl suddenly in the mood for going solo? When he started to study literature, Carl had many new stories and images in his head. And they have to get out, in 11 emotional songs. PS. The youngest Norén will also release a solo record, under the artist name Viktorious. 

source: swiss magazine '20 minuten'

Owls - Review on www.monstersandcritics.de

A solo record like you might not expect it: Carl Norén guitarist and singer of the swedish rock band Sugarplum Fairy, mixes on ‚Owls’ soft folk sounds with wild by all means band suitable sounds.
The music probably just has to get out of him. Which is given the family connections not really surprising. While the oldest brother Gustaf-Erik lingers as guitarist/singer of Mando Diao, Carl forms with the youngest brother Viktor a part of Sugarplum Fairy. And now for the first time he acts as a solo artist.

It might have been expected that not only an intimate acoustic album would result out of this.But the opener ‚Tired Of Running’ turns out to be a smooth and danceable disco number and causes confusion.
Furthermore it becomes a little cozier; the androgynous Beau operates with the expected acoustic guitar and lies honed vocals over it. On other spots he assends pianos or strings, which underline the melancholy of the scandinavian soul without anyone dropping off the pop-believe.

The resemblences to the mother ship Sugarplum Fairy mostly isn’t being highlighted, although a few sounds and hooks might occur familiar. Carl after all cannot totally free himself from the hooks of the rock music.

The songs that the 27 year old Swede composed together with Mats Björke (Keyboarder of Mando Diao) therefor are astonnishing
sugary. The lovely melodies want to enchant, not scandalize. Nevertheless: Exactly those stylistic changements distinguish this record from the monotony of the solo trials of many rock band members. Even if many things come in as long-known and ultimately resonates a little random. Let it be understood though : on a high artisitc level. 

Owls - Review on www.alternativenation.de

In the family Norén, music seems to be in the blood – at least the three sons Gustaf, Carl and Viktor sit in the musical saddle. Gustaf ist he frontman of the swedish most successful rock export Mando Diao and the two younger brothers play side by side in the band Sugarplum Fairy for years. But apparently Carl as enough of the band way of life and releases with Owls his first solo record.

Upon this the 27 year old hits obvious softer and trendier tones and departed far away from Sugarplum Fairy and also from his role modals Oasis and The Clash. Instead of schrammel guitar strings, piano and acoust guitar dominate the record. While the opener ‚Tired OF Running sounds like R’n’B, the rest of the songs are dominated by a trendy melancholy. On ‚New York’ for instance a sad piano and soft acoustic guitars are racing,The Anger however is dominated by melancholic strings and on Hide Away the piano knows how to hold steady. This not only assumes a singer/songwrtier/pop-normality but proves it on Owls.
The entire record is built up according to sample acoustic guitar, strings and piano. Carl Norén hands in a gentle ‚cuddle-pop’ which is nice to listen to, but not more. 

Owls - Review on musikgraph.de

Norén? Does this name sound familiar to you? But of course! Brother Gustaf is frontman of the band Mando Diao and Carl founded together with Victor (his younger brother) the band Sugarplum Fairy, which i can only entrust to you.

From solo records of band leaders, which mostly are are singers and songwriters there, you often expect works, which don’t distinguish themselves a lot from the things you know. This doesn’t have to be negative, if you like the band the way it is. The solo record almost appeals to be a change. With Carl Norén this is different. Barely a song sounds familiar to Sugarplum Fairy, although I personally find these extraordinary. At this point I want to mention New York and Going Out Tonight. Stylistically totally different, but The Anger sounds superb in my ears which with no doubt is the outstanding part of Owls. Catch tune guaranteed.

Carl works with a lot of instruments on his solo debut and to my delight with loads of stringers. The album represents itself in a rather quiet robe and plays with a lot of emotional and romantic elements which are attributable to Carl’s newly started literature studies.
The entire records finds itself in a coat of both parts of the song Tired Of Running. The opener Tired Of Running might confuse the one or the other listener at the beginning, but it achieves its purpose and creates a really good start into Carl’s solo debut. Owls is being finalized by a melancholic varition oft he opener in which Carl one more time presents all the facets of his voice. In the coat of these beginning and achieved melodies we hear calmer and evocative things. A real successful debut and therefor another big number from Borlänge.
Snap tips : The Anger, Going Out Tonight, New York, Owls