Shrouded in a hazy industrial ambience, Thåström's sixth solo album, Kärlek Är För Dom, follows in much the same direction as its predecessor, the chart-topping latter-day masterwork Skebokvarnsv. 209 (2005). It's a solid album that's a bit on the short side, topping out at a modest ten songs in 42 minutes, but plays well from beginning to end with a consistent tone and steady tempo throughout. With a career going all the way back to the 1970s and including stints with more bands and side projects than one cares to count, Thåström is a legend in the Swedish rock scene. He may be only six albums into his solo career, but he's a seasoned veteran who has experimented with a wide range of rock styles over the years. During the 1990s he got really into industrial rock, and there's still some of that in his post-millennial music, which is more singer/songwriter-oriented than his 20th century output. Thåström's last solo album, Skebokvarnsv. 209, titled after his home address as a child, was his most directly personal to date, something that especially pleased his longtime fans. Kärlek Är För Dom leans in the same direction, incorporating biographical details into its lyrics and emphasizing the vocals over the music, which basically serves as background ambience. Ulf Ivarsson once again serves as producer, and Thåström's Sällskapet bandmates Pelle Ossler and Niklas Hellberg are credited with instrumentation. Sällskapet is the latest of Thåström's industrial rock side projects (or as some might tag it, post-industrial), and there are shades of the trio's 2007 eponymous album debut heard throughout Kärlek Är För Dom. Highlights include the first two songs, "Kort Biografi Med Litet Testamente" and "Långtbort," and the title track, which features Anna Ternheim on harmony vocals.
© Jason Birchmeier /TiVo