Review BONAFIDE ‘Are You Listening?’

That rock music from Sweden is usually well made and has refined melodies is well known. Bonafide make no difference here. Formed in 2006 in Malmö, Sweden, the band premiered in 2007 and as tour support for bands like Deep Purple and Europe, Pontus Snibb and his companions quickly gained attention.

Now it’s the band’s eighth album, which raises a question: ‘Are You Listening?’ The question can be answered with ‘Yes’ because already the grooving bass and the very AC/DC reminiscent ‘ahahahah’ sing-along are infectious. Even if the originality falls a little by the wayside, one is immediately caught by the catchiness of the rocker. Since the following ‘Hero to Zero’ and ‘Salvation’ are also impressing with powerful rock’n’roll it’s an easy listen through the album.

The faster ‘Who’s the Boss’ has as much charm as bluesy ‘Rumble’. ‘Snacket’ is like a little tribute to the hometown, as the song is sung in the Malmö-typical dialect; a track on which Wilmer X frontman Nisse Hellberg contributes with a guest appearance.

The 70s shimmer through in ‘Tommie Nine Fingers’ while ‘Little Miss Understood’ is the throbbing closer of a record that knows how to appeal.

Even if ‘Are You Listening?’ doesn’t represent a musical revolution, you still get very well done dirty rock’n’roll. Hooks and catchiness form a unit with hard riffs and a certain street-approach. All in all, ‘Are You Listening?’ is a well-done record that is fun to listen to and that spreads a good vibe.