Posted on: August 1, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

“Writing about this song a few weeks ago, Stephen M. Deusner called it “a rather visual folk-rock ballad, so much so that you an almost watch it as it happens: it begins with Fröberg singing and playing piano, alone on stage. Halfway through the first verse, the house lights rise to show a bluesy guitar and Morén in the background, singing along. Blue gels color the soaring chorus, casting a melancholy shade on their sunny harmonies. Marimbas enter stage left, and eventually, a full string section takes its place under the spotlights for the song’s ending.” To which I can only add: Boy, I like this chorus. The video finds the guys playing an intense game of chess underneath a blaring light.” – Mark Richardson

Soundbites
“Froberg not you typical Swedish indie rocker. His songs have more of a ’70s feel, more emotional, many being piano driven. “Just Behind a Brickwall” has an undeniable Elton John feel. But not cheesy. He seemed excited to be playing to a semi-full room, making jokes inbetween songs, mainly of the “Thank you America!” variety.”

TIME OUT NY – “Sweetly melancholic edge akin to that of Simon and Garfunkel”

BOSTON GLOBE – “Grand, melodic models of simple pop sophistication.”

SOUND BITES NYC – “Not your typical Swedish indie rocker. His songs have more of a 70s feel, more emotional…”

WASHINGTON POST – “The album, Froberg’s second, is certainly compatible with the work of other contemporary neo-folkies, but it also shows the strong influence of a veteran: Paul Simon.”

THE ONION – “…while [Jose] González favors the mystical acoustica of Nick Drake and David Crosby, Fröberg is more into Simon & Garfunkel and Belle & Sebastian…. melodies and lyrics follow models of classicism and romanticism. But in this context, given just enough lo-fi scuff, they sound more beguilingly elusive, like half-remembered dreams of times past.”

UNDER THE RADAR – “delicately performed folk-pop ditties… File between your Cat Stevens and Beach Boy records.

THE WORD (UK) – “I’m honestly starting to think it might be one of the greatest records ever made. I am!!”

PASTE –“For fans of: Paul Simon, Sondre Lerche, Damien Rice”

Swedish artist Tobias Froberg has recently spent his time hanging out with friends. Not only did he log production duties on the forthcoming offering from Peter Moren (the Peter of Peter, Bjorn & John) but he spent some time working on his own, third release, “Turn Heads”. His new album features a gaggle of his mates including Peter, Norwegian chanteuse Ane Brun, the heavenly Brit singer songwriter Kathryn Williams, the troubadour Teitur, Existensminumum and Torbjörn Zetterberg (Folke). He even made it a family affair, working with his father, jazz musician Ante Fröberg.

Although Froberg invites his buddies along to create music, his albums have his personal finger prints all over them. His first two releases, For Elisabeth Wherever She Is (2004) and Somewhere In the City (2006) are both self produced. Both records are much loved all over the globe, while Elisabeth was nominated for a Swedish Indie Grammy.

But being a renaissance man, not only does Tobias play produce and play on his records, he is the dummer for the band Boulevard of Broken Bones AND is a writer. He is, amongst other things, one of the very, very few who got to meet and interview movie director Ingmar Bergman, for a book.

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