What is this? Is it someone new? Well, yes it is. This is album no. 13 from Miami Beach’s own Ex Norwegian. Formed in 2008 by Roger Houdaille, the band have been around for nearly 15 years bringing the essence of pop and art styled beauty to life. While this is my introduction to the band’s music, Spook Du Jour the band’s latest release on Think Like a Key Music, is the mixtape album we have been waiting for.
This will give you an ear-listening experience throughout the highlights that the band have brought to the kitchen table. Songs like ‘Burn It’ has this sunshine warmth vibe with the mellotron walking on the beach as it has these vibes between Belle and Sebastian and Gruff Rhys’ lyrical textures.
The Rolling Stones-sque vibe on ‘Vicious Cycles’, brings to mind Their Satanic Majesties Request as it is sung in the style of ‘She’s a Rainbow’, but it’s the jump to light-speed travelling to a blaring glam-rock stomp from Here Come the Warm Jets-era, ‘For Your Consequences’. Then, Ex Norwegian head into a bossa-nova route for a little samba pop for the ‘Thot Patrol’ to come marching through the driven ride of an acoustic beauty by visiting the ‘Teen Bakery’.
But, they go into a prog-rock voyage with the Apples in Stereo and Italian maestro’s Jennifer Gentle for ‘Center Mario’, bringing down the house. This was an amazing ride I embarked on hearing Ex Norwegian’s music for the first time with Spook Du Jour. Listening to their music is like searching for lost, hidden treasure that hadn’t been open for 20 years.
And now with the treasure opened, maybe it’s time to see what I was missing from Houdaille’s arrangements to get onboard his cruise ship and be a part of that ride. But this is an amazing introduction if you want to begin your journey with Ex Norwegian’s music.
