Norway - Luna Kafé - Full Moon 28 - 01/31/99
Stuntbike
Gone
Smalltown Supersound
Who needs Sebadoh anyway, as long as Stuntbike is around? The threesome pop-bikers, fronted by Truls Haugland (also the
man behind Echo Troopers), cycle the very streets where Lou Barlow roam. Dark back alleys, with lights kept to a minimum,
while figuring out what went wrong with the last relationship. Was Mr. Zappa right about broken hearts, or what?
Gone is the brand new album by Stuntbike, which except from song-writer Haugland (guitars, vocals), has got Hein
Flikka Hammervold (bass) and Rune Furborg (drums) inside the triangle. The song that gets the wheels rolling is Liar,
which was also to be found on the b-side of the debut single, Destination (b/w Liar and ...cars. Incredible speed,
Smalltown Supersound 1997), as well as being an Echo Troopers song originally entitled King. I haven't heard the original
but the re-arranged and re-named version is a nice, little slow-and-low-pop gem. Next song, Smile (all the titles are
one-worded), has got some more pace ad punch, and is maybe the track on the CD being a potential hit song. Another cool track
is Collecting, with its smooth start and fine melody.
Gone has got 13 songs on it, and it's maybe a bit monotonous as a whole, with most of the songs floating through the
same sad-atmosphered surroundings. It could've been interesting to hear Stuntbike a tiny bit more rough and aggressive now and
then. Such as they tend to in the closing track, Less, which has got a noisy "finale". I also find the sparse keyboard/
synth-sounds fitting, discreetly spicing up some songs. So, well, to be honest I was a little disappointed after hearing Gone
the first few times. Maybe I was expecting too much after the fine Destination single. Anyway it's a solid debut, and I guess
a bit more fuzzed and jangly sound, when playing live, will suit their music quite well.
Smalltown Supersound, P.O. Box 2069 Grünerløkka, N-0505 Oslo, Norway.
Gone is distributed by: Voices of Wonder (Norway and Denmark), Cargo (UK), Surefire (USA), Border (Sweden).
Copyright © 1999 Håvard Oppøyen
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