THE MISLED
SECRET SEA
ALBUM M&A MUSIC ART RELEASE: FEBRUARY 2, 2002 REVIEW: APRIL 9, 2002

Sounding somewhat like a mix between The Cure and Depeche Mode, The Misled have still managed to walk quite some distance on the road leading to a sound of their own. Curiously, they sometimes, mainly on the opening track "Quiet", remind me of the old band The Essence. And since I liked these Cure-clones, I can’t help but falling for their charming Swedish counterparts Misled.
The melodies are nice, if not haunting, and the guitar playing excellent. The Misled even manages to bring in a piano in a couple of their slower songs, which is a nice touch. All in all, this is an album that’s easy to like in all its gloominess and seriousness. Maybe this is what The Cure would have sounded like if Wayne Hussey and Robert Smith had decided to collaborate. That is, if Wayne accidentally forgot how to make varied songs with hit-qualities and Robert tried not to sing at his best. You see, ambitious and talented as The Misled are, they still sound the same almost all the way through. And, well, maybe the singer has improved his skills to the next album and tries not to be as monotonous as on this one.
But I sure hope there will be a next album and chances are it will be a killer.

KALLE MALMSTEDT