Addictive, clever and accessible in equal measure, Johnossi has all the right attributes to make a very big splash in the UK.
Swedish duo Johnossi have been making quite a noise in recent times with their melodic brand of Pop Rock. So much so that the band has been signed to Polydor in the UK for their fifth album in an attempt to pillage the untapped market.
The whole album is difficult to pigeonhole. It's highly melodic, as illustrated by the Country-tinged Pop Rock of 'Blood', and yet that Country hue is punctuated with horn sections and a Gospel style backing on 'Air Is Free'. 'Hands' sounds like an acoustic version of The Who jamming with Mumford And Sons, whilst 'On A Roll' comes across like The Shadows 'Apache' meets modern Folk.
The production is faultless, the melodies unambiguous and the whole package is different enough to make waves in the UK mainstream. 'Hey Kiddo' has the cockiness of Dave Lee Roth and the quirkiness of Royal Republic and 'Got Your Gun' plays out like a lighter version of Danko Jones.
If it all sounds a little too eclectic, then don't let it put you off as there's an inherent hook around every corner that will pull you in. Addictive, clever and accessible in equal measure, Johnossi has all the right attributes to make a very big splash in the UK – watch this space.
Mike Newdeck