I Never Really Had You

Every so often a band who deserve real critical acclamation slip under the surface and never really find solid affirmation that they are as original and worthwhile as they really are, and with the Swedish-made band David & the Citizens the answer to this conundrum can only really be guessed at.

Perhaps their marketing plan wasn't strategic enough, maybe Sweden is so foreign to the hub countries of indie (Britain, America, Australia.. Japan?), or possibly they're not really good and I only like them now because they got me through 4th form.

This band found its way into my life four or five years ago now, via some forgotten means, but their myspace page view count

(if that's any indication to go by) is still below 10,000.

The inner shrew of mine secretly loves this band's obscurity, but in the long run it means an overall lack of support; that this music may never be played on a stage at some New Zealand festival or land on the desk of the music director for a Zooey Deschanel film.

Although the band is on an indefinite break,

David Fridlund absolutely deserves this respect.

The poetry of each song and overall emotional delivery breaks through all the terribly processed image-focused music that is becoming increasingly impossible to escape,

The fresh structure of each song puts to shame the bands that stick to typical methods or hide behind reverb,

The philosophy of David's words reflect thought that is not trying to be pretentious, deep, funny, apathetic, ironic, self-pitying or nonsensical.

They are authentic.

If Fridlund and the guy who invented porridge got together they would become the cure for winter.

David & the Citizens:

- The End (for emotion)

- Let's Not Fall Apart (for energy)

Please click on their band name to visit the myspace page, and as always, take these downloads to stumble upon next time you shuffle your iTunes.

A personal recommendation to leave with you: listen to Song Against Life. If you like it please comment and I may post a download for you, but for now just hear it with an empathetic ear and see if it fits in your puzzle.