Tracklisting :
01. Koop Island Blues (feat. Ane Brun)
02. Come To Me (feat. Yukumi Nagano)
03. Forces ... Darling (feat. Earl Zinger)
04. I See A Different You (feat. Yukumi Nagano)
05. Let's Elope (feat. Mikael Sundin)
06. The Moonbounce
07. Beyond The Sun (feat. Earl Zinger)
08. Whenever There Is You (feat. Yukumi Nagano)
09. Drum Rhythm A (Music For Ballet Exercises)

Welcome to Koop Islands. A place where music and life swing to a slightly different drum.

Before we start we need you to do one thing. Listen to Come To Me. If you ask me, that song encapsulates almost everything you need to know about Koop Islands. After just a few seconds you're in two completely different places at the same time. Come To Me is the point where the Swedish summer solstice meets a Caribbean Christmas. It's where the sweetest melody ever swings easy on a faraway beach where Santa Clause handles the steel pans.

So back they went. Back to the swing of the 1930s, the exoticism of forgotten orchestras and entertainers performing on late 40s yacht cruises to Jamaica. The characteristic Koop vibes now joined by marimbas, furious gene krupaesque jungle drums (just listen to them rip on Forces… Darling) and an ever present Cape Verdean Blues with just a hint of Mento that would have made islanders in European exile, like the recently salvaged Lord Kitchener & His Friends, nod in approval.

This journey in time and music is what forms the foundation Koop Islands was built on...

- We play jazz, says Oscar. It's as simple as that. We can't do pop, electronica, techno or whatever because we're just no good at it. Knowing this and having accepted it we can basically do whatever we want. If we wanna explore and pick up pieces from, say, 1929 - we can.


Review track per track :

"Koop Island Blues" is a beautiful lament, featuring gorgeous vocals by Ane Brun, the only new vocalist in the lineup. It's upbeat, but mellow and even sorrowful; great stuff.

"Come to Me" is a chippy, upbeat song with vocals by returning vocalist Yukimi Nagamo, and she is just as good as ever. Tells a story of a girl who seems to be optimistic despite just getting over a failed relationship.

"Forces...Darling" features Earl Zinger, who's back for more after the last album. He and Nagamo make great rhythms with their voices, they work very well together.

"I See A Different You" features Nagamo again, and it REALLY shows off her vocal range. The title is pretty self-explanatory. A great little upbeat number.

"Let's Elope" brings back Mikael Sundin again for a more sensual feel. A very smooth piece that somehow manages to remain as innocent as possible despite the suggestive title.

"The Moonbounce": Koop lets loose! An energetic number with a catchy vocal sample overtop of lots of solos and rhythms. Good pace and very cute! (Yes, you can call music cute!) A great instrumental piece that'll get you moving.

"Beyond the Son" is a very interesting tune that may not work for some, but does for me. It's Earl Zinger reading a letter overtop of some slow beats and rhythms. It's fantastic, the letter he reads is so....interesting. Seems to be a letter to a good friend in Sweden from London. Zinger's voice is VERY unique and quite comforting. It's just the sort of letter you'd love to get from a suave friend such as him.

"Whenever There Is You" features Nagamo again, and serves as a nice jazzy love song. Great vocals again, and backing that is smooth as silk.

"Drum Rhythm A (Music For Ballet Exercises)" is the only one that didn't really cut it with me. A xylophone dances overtop of a fairly simple beat. A bit of artistic meandering, in my opinion, this song should have been built upon to make it a better instrumental piece.[/quote]