Monday 13 April 2015

Swedish Family - Vintage Prog (2004)


The one and only album from this Swedish "mystery" band.

Mystery because the musicians tried to make it as it was an obscure band from the 1970s, recently dug up again from someone's archives. All the band members had fictitous names and it was all a mystery, this band.

Well, it was not. Swedish Family was actually Thomas Bodin with friends. That includes many members of The Flower Kings, including Roine Stolt on guitars.

But The Flower Kings, this band and album is not. The band uses a lot of accordion and the music is based in Swedish folk music. Music I know well as a Norwegian. I would say late 1960s Swedish folk music. Then the band has added on some jazz and a lot of symphonic prog. Swedish symphonic prog in the vein of Kaipa.

Besides of lots of accordion, we also find Hammond organs, guitars, bass, vibraphone, flutes, drums and saxophone. That and some sporadic vocals.

The end result is a pastoral Swedish prog rock album. A fifty minutes long album too with some music I find refreshing and very old at the same time. This album reeks Sweden long way. The smell of forests, small villages in the middle of nowhere, small rural churches, forestry, old horses, chickens, barking dogs and the rugged people of the rural Sweden. This album may or may not be tribute to all this.

This is a very good album and a great idea from Thomas Bodin & co. It is an essential album for those into Swedish progressive rock. And the music is very good too. It is recommended.  

3.5 points

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