Team Me
Female Lead
Propeller Recordings

Just before 2012 ebbs out Team Me serve us an unexpected 10" EP, just as a holiday surprise. Team Me had their break-through last year, with their massively acclaimed debut album, To The Treetops! (Propeller). In prior to that the band grew rather rapidly stellar after their debut gig in January 2010. The following year and a half took the band all around Norway plus almost the rest of the world touring massively. Playing all the big festivals. Being hailed by critics. For their songs, for their album. Receiving a Norwegian "Grammy" as well.

Team-leader Marius Drogsås Hagen and his players (they're still a sextet) have collected 5 songs for this EP. Five songs being a small box of chocolate pop songs. Sweet and tasty. Opener "Bringebærveien 33" (Raspberry Road 33 -- my wild guess is that it's Drogsås Hagen's old address in his home-town, Elverum) is really nice, Sufjan-styled pop-intro, and a perfect starter. The almost X-massy (jingly, and even hymn-like) "Winter Olympics '94" is a drive (or ski-trip) down memory lane towards Lillehammer (a.k.a Lillyhammer), but my biggest favourite on this EP is the quiet, low-voiced "Sixteen Steps".

"Marine Mammals" is a meditative instrumental, while the closing "A.J and Leo" (which holds a fragment from a well-known song for children; "Frère Jacques / Fader Jakob / Father James"). These songs have been recorded in various places over a period of time. Yet they fit quite well together, making me think of snow, winter, and x-mas.

There was some noise in the news this summer when singer/synth player Synne Øverland Knudsen left the band after a political disagreement, when Team Me were offered a Statoil sponsored scholarship. The female lead left the band. Hence the title...? Anyway, Team Me's music are still high up in the treetops.

Copyright © 2012 Håvard Oppøyen