120 Days

120 DAYS
120 DAYS
VICE/WEA
2006

The little press blurb that is written on the back of this self-titled release by Norway's 120 Days throws in words like "Neu!", "Kraftwerk", "guitar", et cetera. Needless to say, I was intrigued to listen to this cd. Was it going to be a full-on Krautrock-by-way-of-Norwegians album or was it just desperation in describing another run-of-the-mill electronic band who happen to also hold instruments that have strings attached to them? Well, it's definitely more like the former, although this isn't some 4 song, 45 minute sterile German knockoff by any means. You can, if you want to, dance to this record, and you can, if you want to, get lost in it's beauty with headphones on a rainy morning.

Opening track "Come Out, Come Down, Fade Out, Be Gone" is an epic of an opener, clocking in at nearly 9 minutes. It has a chugging analogue synth melody and dissonant, drowned deep guitars. It wouldn't sound out of place next to Primal Scream's "Autobahn 66", another track owing heavy royalties to the Krautrock regime. "Sleepwalking" is fabulous and has that kind of Kasabian vibe to it, the dancy rhythms with chunky basslines and a vocal that isn't really different from that of the mighty K either. "Get Away" harkens back to that quintessential postpunk bass riff of old over a cold, dark programmed drum beat, sounding not too far off from something on the first few Sisters Of Mercy singles before they were signed by WEA. Don't worry, because, vocally, they never make it into Andrew Eldritch territory, so don't fret about having to figure out if you need to wear black eyeliner when you hear it.

120 Days are nothing new, really, and that can be evidenced by listening to it or checking how many names in this review I checked as an influence or peer. But, they succeed in making a rhythmic album that transcends the normal, boring 4/4 techno dancefloor, as well as making a record that can be ambient without being monotonous and sterile. The way I try to describe this band to my friends is basically this: Kraftwerk, Can, Neu!, Suicide, Primal Scream, Kasabian, Spacemen 3, Spiritualized, Slowdive and Cocteau Twins, all mixing in a bowl of Norwegian pop goodness. Eat it up.