bob K

by Craig Hartranft

Swedish quintent bob K musical intentions are quite clear on their second release Fragile: hooking into grandiose and atmospheric sound of modern rock that makes the like of Muse famous. Hear Muse, Coldplay and, possibly, the pretentious, scarf bearing, art rock of Denmark's Mew in this work and you may have a sonic image. In their foundations may be U2 and, if daring to say, some Peter Gabriel, but that might be stretch as Gabriel never seemed this bombastic or accessible to me.

And by accessible, I don't mean the visible groove and hooks of traditional melodic rock either. With possible exception of RWD or Coma, which add some rock punch, the songs of Fragile are swarmy arrangements with layers upon layers of synths, piano, guitar chords, riffs, and rhythms. Atmosphere, like layers of a Royal wedding cake, seems to rule the day here. There's the lilting air and grand ambition of Broken Dreams and heavy many crashing waves of RWD. Often they intersect as on Save Me and Stalker, with many songs building on deliberate, but subtle, quietness only to end in cresendo. Cuing equally immense lights and stage, I could see these songs, and bob K, awakening the night with light and shuddering power. The audience at once leaping, skipping, and dancing in choreographed and responsive frenzy.

Does all this make bob K's Fragile significant entertainment? Remembering the aforementioned context and their peers, bob K is dead on. Fragile, while internally predictable, is well done, and disturbingly addictive. - Dangerdog, USA

(In Frence)

Note : 8.0/10 |

Bob K vient du froid, de Suède pour être précis. La Suède (!) terre de contrastes, patrie d’Alfred Nobel et de Dolf Lundgren, d’ABBA et d’Opeth et d’un jeune groupe de Pop Rock (la formation a dix ans) géniteur de (seulement) deux albums depuis 2005, dont celui qui nous intéresse aujourd’hui, le bien nommé (quoique) "Fragile".

Car contrastes il y a dans la musique produite par ce sextet, d’où le bémol précédant sur la parfaite adéquation entre le titre et la couleur musicale proposée. En effet, Bob K souffle le chaud et le froid sur ce second opus de sa carrière. Il est clair que la tendance (très) générale évoque plutôt la Pop tout en ambiances d’un Keane, mais celle-ci est toutefois ici traversée de zébrures énervées rappelant Muse et de growleries (growls serait exagéré) étonnantes car absolument pas incongrues dans cette atmosphère pourtant aux antipodes du genre.

Tout de même, passé ces sautes d’humeur, la mélancolie l’emporte au travers de morceaux particulièrement mélodieux, portés par deux claviers omniprésents et prenant l’aspect, soit de structures dédiées aux petites salles intimistes, soit aux grandes enceintes et aux foules innombrables, ce qui pourrait ici nous permettre d’oser avancer que Bob K fait parfois dans l’Arena Pop. Les titres "Morningstar", "Coma", "Rwd" et "Save Me" en sont la parfaite résonance. Ils allient avec adresse punch et mélodie, le couple idéal pour faire se mouvoir les foules. A l’opposé, la magie opère également sur le versant plus apaisé de l’opus avec notamment le magnifique "Embrance" tout en retenue, le surprenant "Stalker" qui part en vrille aux deux tiers dans une montée flamboyante d’une force émotionnelle ahurissante ou le très Prefab Sproutien "Heaven".

Gageons que nos amis suédois, qui ne se sont guère aventurés jusque-là au-delà des frontières jouxtant leur pays pour une centaine de concerts (tout de même) ces dix dernières années, viendront bientôt prouver dans d’autres contrées qu’ils valent aussi bien que les groupes référencés dans cette chronique et qu’ils méritent une plus grande audience que celle qu’ils ont recueillie jusqu’ici. Une bonne surprise Pop qui vous est proposée en cette fin d’année, donc laissez-vous tenter, peut être même que cet opus rejoindra alors le camp de vos musiques d’ambiance de fêtes à venir. - MusicWaves, France

Magnificent!
(Approximate translation of the review)

Native of Sweden, bob K constructed themselves, in 10 years of existence, a solid scenic reputation in Scandinavia and in the Baltic Countries. After an album eponym in 2005 and several singles, Peter DALHOFF (song / keyboards), Lorens PALMGREN (synthés), Jonatan SAMUELSSON and Fredrik NELSON (guitars), Tjet PIPARS (low) and Adam BÖRJESSON (battery) [they all are credited on the other hand to the song!] we entrust their very new album studio: Fragile (end of January available 2011).

Delicate and harmonious Fragile... These 11 titles (12 if we consider the 44 seconds of High Horses as title) are a condensed one of fineness and of sensitiveness mélodiques Pop to the COLDPLAY (the album X&Y of 2005), with this voice, these keyboards, piano and violins and of a Rock masculine one to the U2 (the rhythmic and the guitars). The group distills a subtle additional energy (as did it MUSE in 2006 with the album Black Holes & Revelations and / or PLACEBO in 2009 with the album Battle For The Sun), not far from a Métal pastels and soft.
ARCADE FIRE, inspired group Pop Canadians, not at all him also on Crash And Break, with his feminine voice and its omnipresent violins throughout the title.
The hopping (dancing?) Coma, with his persisting refrain and his final vocal impassioned one, is not without recalling one of the numerous one hits of COLDPLAY, White Shadows. Just as Falling, THE hit of this album, that brings back us for him about Talk (always of COLDPLAY).
RWD turns themselves noticeablier about U2.
just as it is impossible to neglect the pricking Morningstar (one of the singles of the group) and Save Me, the soft Embrace, the 6 minutes of Stalker and his peaceful beginning that finishes in long final poisoned where Peter drift towards a song Néo Métal of the most beautiful effect.
It's Time (that could be the extension of the current High Horses), Broken Dreams and the long one (7 minutes 30) Heaven, with his aerial feminine voice, to the moods of the Danish one of Lis Er Stille, evolve in a style more to properly Pop étiqueté, at once more intimist and overwhelming. But keeping nevertheless this latent and energy sovereign.

This alchemy of styles and of influences, intelligently interpreted, learnedly measured, made obvious by a perfect production, does this Fragile an album Power Pop Rock completely exceptional one, to the chiseled melodies as a fragile deposit of frost on a nature endormie (which wants to suggest us the illustration of the envelope?).
My big blow of heart of this winter 2010!

/Ben - Metal Integral, France

(In Spanish)
Otro súper combo venido desde Suecia, y van... En éste caso concreto Bob K son de la capital, Estocolmo. La banda arrancó su andadura allá por el 2000 con el Hard de corte melódico entre ceja y ceja. En el 2002 ganaron un concurso para bandas noveles en su tierra; cosa que les llevó a editar su primer Single de manera oficial. El resultado fue “Keeper of my soul”.

Poco después Bob K fichan con el sello Eckworks para editar su homónimo debut, contenedor de dos de sus mejores Singles; “Believe” y “You make me sing”. En el 2008 editan un Single con su propio sello discográfico. Se trata de “Save me”. Un tema con el que ya se vislumbra el cambio de sonido hacia texturas algo más poppies y AOR. Poco tiempo después editan otro single con el nombre “Morningstar” para finalmente en 2009 fichar por el Sello Lijegreen Records y así preparar su segundo álbum oficial. Un álbum que editarán en 2010 y que llevará por título ‘Fragile’.

‘Fragile’ es un álbum puro e inmaculado, con algo de sintético que lo hace por momentos algo predecible. El sonido se mueve entre el Hard Rock Melódico y el Pop Rock. Todo mezclado y ligado con una buena producción. Un segundo redondo que emana una buena dosis de energía emocional y ofrece un sonido grandilocuente. Y todo aderezado con algunos ‘arrangements’ que lo acercan al Rock de corte más tradicional.

El viaje empieza como todo viaje, con un paso. En este caso, lo hacemos con un cristalino “Morningstar”, tocado quizás por algo de producción cercana a los últimos U2. “Save me”, el segundo parece estar sacado de alguna grabación de los mismísimos Coldplay.

En general es un álbum para tomarte con calma, sin prisa y sin agobios. Son 12 temas tranquilos, bien endulzados y quizás algo demasiado tenues. Un buen álbum; bien equilibrado y suave. Solo alterado de vez en cuando por alguna guiño eléctrico.

Xavi Carafí Mauri - Nurocks, Spain

Bob K is a Swedish band formed in 2000 and a self titled debut released in 2005, this year they followed up with the 2nd album "Fragile" and to my joy Bob K is a mighty talented band with an atmospheric rock sound. The new album gives the listener a dose of Swedish melancholy and British stadium pop, in moments they´re like a mix of Poets of the fall and Keane while in a song like "Stalker" they remind more of Khoma. My favorites are "Save me", "Coma" and "Crash and break". A band with two keyboard players can never be wrong. - Melodic.net, Sweden

Wow, these guys could be the successors to U2's brand of arena rock judging by opener 'Morningstar'! Going on now for 10 years in their native Sweden and surrounding Baltic states, I believe their style has changed from a more slick rock sound to one which is far more passionate and atmospherically charged on this aptly titled album. Delicate harmonies, soft acoustics and at times melancholic arrangements on 'Broken Dreams' and 'Embrace' are fuelled with a sensitive energy giving rise to a sorta electronic emo rock which I see working on those long, cold Scandinavian nights as you make your journey through life a fragile human being with all the emotional durabilty of a snowflake.

-Shan Siva - Battle Helm, United Kingdom

And now for something completely different - Swedish sextet bob K release their second album "Fragile" and it’s an amalgam of alternative rock with melodic arena ready guitar sounds and arrangements. The guitars ring in that U2 meets Coldplay quality, the rhythms are infectious and the vocals have that comforting, airy quality one expects more from a UK band than a Scandinavian outfit. Songs like “Save Me”, “Embrace” and the plaintive ballad closer “Heaven” capture your headspace as much for their streamlined musical bed frame as they do for the harmonies and underlining themes that bring out all your repressed memories and emotions.

Those who look for an alternative to metal now and again would be well advised to search for Bob K. - Eternal Terror, Norway

Well, when I first read the release, I noticed that the band mentioned that all fans from U2 and Coldplay would be very extremely happy! At a first moment, I thought that they versed or had recorded a song from those bands, but no…. Bob K sound was generated directly from the mentioned bands, and in no moment, they try to be Coldplay or U2, which is great! The band, during the CD, sound almost equal Coldplay, but after listening very carefully to it, you can hear that is same but different at the same time… it has their own lives! One thing I liked a lot was the fact that there is no smashing hit, but the entire CD is good! If you are an U2 or a Coldplay fan, I suggest you to listen very carefully to this band, because the DJs will, in no moment, playing the songs in the radio playlist!

My humble opinion??? BUY it! - Zapphy, Brazil

Bob K, Swedish melodic rock in line with bands like Coldplay, U2, Muse etc ... The band offers a different sound and new thinking variations on the Scandinavian rock tradition. I personally was surprised that this band with a sound like this comes from Sweden. Bob K in its long journey has included everything from small club gigs for 40 people to arena concerts with 10 000 festival participants in the audience. Since the start in 2000, bob K approaches 100 concerts around Scandinavia and the Baltic states. Here, the band really has found its audience. The studio productions have been given both honours in magazine reviews, and played on radio in these countries. In 2002 bob K won a talent contest for bands, that led to the first single Keeper Of My Soul.

Shortly afterwards bob K got signed to record- label Eckworks, that released the selftitled album bob K and two singles, Believe and You Make Me Sing. In 2008 the band released the single Save Me on their own label. From that point the musical direction changed from the previously pretty slick sound, towards a more emotionally driven and atmospheric rock. Something that emerged as new members joined the band and come up with interesting musical influences.

After eleven years as a band, bob K released this album called Fragile. Their second album released worldwide in 2010. A bigger production than before. A 12 tracks parade making a journey through life as a fragile human being. Swedish music with an English sound. Pity that the lyrics are sometimes unintelligible and the sound is overall melancholic. If you’re into metal I wouldn’t recommend this album to you. But if you like Muse, Coldplay or stuff like that; Buy this Album!

Rating: 7/10

Review done by: Thomas Elzinga - Mauce - The Netherlands

bob K plays its arena rock with much emotional energy, and offers a grandiose sound with dynamic arrangements accompanied by new thinking variations on the Scandinavian rock tradition.

bob K in its long journey has included everything from small club gigs for 40 people to arena concerts with 10 000 festival participants in the audience. Since the start in 2000, bob K approaches 100 concerts around Scandinavia and the Baltic states. Here, the band really has found its audience. The studio productions have been given both honors in magazine reviews, and played on radio in these countries.

In 2002 bob K won a talent contest for bands, that led to the first single Keeper Of My Soul. Shortly afterwards bob K got signed to record- label Eckworks, that released the selftitled album bob K and two singles, Believe and You Make Me Sing. In 2008 the band released the single Save Me on their own label. From that point the musical direction changed from the previously pretty slick sound, towards a more emotionally driven and atmospheric rock. Something that emerged as new members joined the band and come up with interesting musical influences.

After another single release, Morningstar, and ten years as a band, bob K released the second album called Fragile in 2010. A major production where the magnificent and atmospheric face emotive vocals, beautiful string arrangements and honest lyrics. A 12 tracks parade which together makes a journey through life as a fragile human being.

The Fragile Tour started together with the American artist Kevin Max (dcTalk), in late March 2010, and continued in Sweden and Lithuania. Later the same year another single, called Falling, was released.
bob K was signed up for a worldwide distribution, and Fragile was re-released on January 21:st 2011, and so was the 3:rd single from the album: Coma.

During the Fall of 2010, bob K started a new production together with American/Norwegian producer David Larring. This new album is scheduled for release in November 2011. - www.bobk.se