Pär Hagström and Cirkus Transmopol
December Rose
Strawberry Records

Pär Hagström and his band are releasing a concept album of sorts. The first seven songs are about tow lovers who lose each other, and the rest of the songs are unrelated to that. Musically they are theatrical and unashamedly ambitious which has given them a lot of attention.

"Postcard" has a lovely vocal by Jenny Roos and a merry melody to back her up. The title song is a lengthy, suspenseful piece with a real nice piano part. Roos and Hagström duet to great effect and it resembles a lost Tom Waits song. "Beuty Never Dies" is a theatrical tune that Hagström delivers with real tension. Roos sweet vocals provide a nice counterpoint to his ragged one. "Circus" lives up to its title even if it's melancholy.

Hagström and his band deliver music that's far from the ordinary and that’s reason enough to seek them out.

Copyright © 2008 Anna Maria Stjärnell