24062014 - Restore to Past "Restore to Past"

Restore to Past are 18 Norwegian musicians who have used 10 years to complete this album. Most of these musicians are known from various other bands, but that shouldn't really be a focus point, nor should it be your main reason to check this album out. What should be a reason is the lovely songs, where references range from Loosegoats, if they had both a male and a female vocalist, on opener "Desert Drive" via both 'Til Tuesday, Velvet Belly, The Tunicates, The Polyphonic Spree and many other lovely bands. There's a beautiful melancholic feel to songs like "Restore to Past" itself, and even though they use horns, strings and keys it's never over-arranged. Funnily enough, for all their combined experience as a whole, the best thing here is the vocals courtesy of Tora and Ragna Engstad - the only involved people here without any prior reference points. And that's saying quite a lot, as this is an album where both songs and musicianship impress from first listen! This album should win prizes when that time comes, and everybody who likes soft pop music with lush hints of Laurel Canyon should own it!