Album Review

Erik Hassle – Don’t Bring Flowers

• 25th Aug 2009

The problem with the recent rise in popularity of ‘80s revival’ acts like La Roux is that, once one moderately talented artist stumbles into popularity, everyone wants to have a go.

Don’t ask me why Erik Hassle thought it would be a good idea to start a music career. He adds nothing to this barely passable synth-pop backdrop to provide an end-product which pretty much defines ‘forgettable’.

Imagine the worst elements of Duran Duran and The Human League blended together into some kind of hellish smoothie and you’re halfway there. Add vocals which can’t decide if they want to be more bland or more whiney and you arrive at Erik Hassle.

I have one final question to ask Erik. You come from Sweden, a country renowned for its history of accomplished-if-cheesy pop music. So why would you choose to take your influences from the one period in British music that everyone has tried to brush under the carpet and pretend it never happened?