Dag for Dag, who have just released their debut album ‘BOO’, are a Swedish-American brother and sister combination. Over the years, Swedish and American genes have combined to produce such visual delights as Kim Bassinger, Uma Thurman and Scarlet Johansson; such high-fliers as Charles Lindeburg and Buzz Aldrin; and every politician in Minnesota. In addition to genetic engineering, Swedish-American automotive engineering created a modern classic in 2005 – and answered the prayers of every Yummy Mummy in Chelsea, Cheshire and Chesapeake Bay – when Volvo finally deigned to put a V8 into the XC90. When it comes to the contribution of Swedish-Americans to music, however, there is only Kris Kristofferson. And Dag for Dag?
Swedish music has an incurable problem. When you think of Liverpool and music you think of The Beatles. When you think of Cardiff and music you think of Shakin’ Stevens. But when you think of Sweden and music? Abba, Abba … Abba! With their album, ‘BOO’, Dag for Dag have decided to try to be as un-Abba as they can. Take the album cover, for example. There’s a rather intense young lady on the front who somehow manages to look like Little Red Riding Hood, Miss Havisham and Julie Andrews in the ‘Sound of Music’ – all at the same time. The music itself is not the worst in the world but, although the average Swede can read and write English better that the average English person can after 13 years of Labour, English is not their first language. And this shows. Perhaps this album should have been called ‘Lost in Translation’?
The vast majority of societies in history – from cave-painters to most royal families of Europe – have strict rules about what brothers and sisters cannot do with, to and for each other. Having listened to ‘BOO’ by Dag for Dag, I think there is now a prima faciecase for the prohibition of brothers and sisters making music together … at least in public.
Release Date 08/03/2010 (Haldern Pop Records)
