Nansy
I Can't Sleep
So Happy Inc

"Take me to the pub - fill my veins with alcohol. Give me one more drink that will help me to forget" is the tasty opening lines on the title song on Nansy's debut record. With those words you would probably expect some rumbling raw rock'n'roll, but no, this band is not walking the steps of many other Norwegian bands these days, Ricochets, Gluecifer etc.

No, this is a totally different matter. I saw them open for June Of 44 (I think) about a year ago. Both vocalist Anita Nansy Valderhaug's voice and experienced stage performance and the band's ability to write and perform rather splendid pop songs quickly took me. Since then I have seen them a couple of times and am still impressed by the way the band and especially Ms. Valderhaug have the audience nearly hypnotized; during ballads, some people even shut up! As far as I know, she has been involved in several musicals during the latest years, and a lot of her stage persona probably stems from there.

Anyway, Nansy have not become a household name on the charts yet, and this EP has not changed that. That's a shame because the potential of this band is huge. The opening (and title) track is a guitar-driven (acoustic, mostly) up-beat song of longing, meant for summer days but can easily be listened to all through the year, especially during long dark November evenings.

City Friendship is a Latino influenced tune, very danceable. And the few seconds of ritardando beginning at 2:16 is worth the admission alone! The EP's ballad is People & Buildings, atmospheric, loose and simply wonderful. Mmmm... The last track is not as catchy as the first two, but that may be because it's, ehem, a demo version.

A very positive debut then, and I am even willing to ignore that Bowie ca. -72 accent. This is pop!

So Happy Inc CD only, distributed through MNW in Scandinavia. It is available at So Happy,inc. boutique or download at Freetrax.

Copyright © 2000 Pingo