SADMAN COLD IN THE STATE OF ME ALBUM MEMENTO MATERIA RELEASE: APRIL 18, 2008 REVIEW: APRIL 26, 2008

“Cold in the State of Me” is an interesting title, though slightly cryptic as to its meaning. What are the boys Lars Fernström (vocals and music) and Mattias Raftegård (music), collectively known as Sadman, thinking of, I wonder? Whatever it is, it seems to filter through the music of this long-player like ice-water pouring down a waterfall midwinter. There is a certain melancholiness to this album, though not as much as you might expect from the moniker of this duo.

“Help” is actually an almost positive and uplifting track, despite the title suggesting the opposite. If there is a slight hint of recognition as you listen, this is probably due to the fact that a lot of the music here sounds quite Depeche Mode, especially if you transposed Dave Gahan's vocals rather than Fernström's. This isn't to say that Fernström's vocals are weak, but the faux-Gahan delivery seems to beg for the real deal. The instrumentation is on the money; slightly electro, pulled into shape through the use of real instruments, playing real songs. As I said, the guitars sound very Mode-y, and some of the synth lines too, no bad thing especially when enough quality is shown to not seem like just a wannabe act. “Come Free” has a great beginning, almost paranoiac in its approach; a shame it melts away into quite a standard poppy-song.

There is a nice mix of tempo through the set (“The Mist” being a notable up-tempo number – a great track it is too, reminiscent of a slightly poppier "Faithless"). The music is consistently of a good quality, with some well chosen atmospheric sounds employed, that sit nicely against Fernström's voice.

MIKE WHYTE