by JOHNSON CUMMINS

When the Sounds released their 2003 debut record, they were set to rule the dance-punk world. Critics ushered in the Swedes as “the new Blondie,” the kids went gaga over their neo-new-wave and the band set out on the road, averaging 200 shows a year for three years. By 2005, with no fast follow-up release and whispers of a sophomore slump, it was starting to look like this Swedish band had missed the boat.

It was becoming apparent that the Sounds had fallen victim to the all too familiar formula. It seemed that they had had their entire lives to write the debut, but were unable to hunker down and create the 30 minutes of music that makes up their new album Dying to Say This to You—and that observation would prove to be at least half right.

“It was starting to get ridiculous,” says keyboardist Jesper Anderberg. “We were having meetings in America with Paul McCartney’s producer and other people, and we were showing them a four-song demo and telling them we had the rest of the record written, but really, we just had those four songs. When we got home, we really started getting stressed, but I think that stress really helped because we ended up writing most of the rest of the record really quickly, and were able to write while we were in the studio as well. Everybody is definitely really happy with the way it came out.”

Hailing from the small town of Helsingborg, Sweden, the Sounds were also caught up in the Swedish invasion of a couple years back, when the (International) Noise Conspiracy were the kings of underground rock, Ray Wonder proved himself a pop genius, the Hives were all over the media and the Soundtrack of Our Lives were heralded as the next great rock band. Although the Sounds haven’t much in common with any of these bands musically, they do possess a Swedish soul. “There are so many great bands from Sweden, like the Hellacopters, In Flames and Melody Club. I guess the only thing that binds bands from Sweden together is that bands from the U.K. and the States are equally influenced by bands from their own countries. Swedish bands seem to be right in the middle. Also, Swedish critics tend to be really harsh on bands from Sweden, so bands tend to not think about critics and just get around to making music right from the beginning.”

With singer Maja Ivarsson’s stunning good looks and fake blonde coif, it’s no wonder that the rampant Blondie comparisons came up, but Ivarsson especially has come leaps and bounds since the debut and seems more confident and brassy, standing on her own two feet on the new album. The Sounds definitely have the beat, and Killers producer Jeff Saltzman’s infectious pop savvy, but their recent tour highlight proves they are hardly the Blondie fans critics make them out to be.

“Some of our equipment got lost when we were flying from South by Southwest to L.A., so we had to borrow a bass and some other equipment. This friend of ours in L.A. knew we needed a bass for the show and he knew we really liked Slayer, so he ended up bringing down a bass that used to be Tom Araya’s, and he had autographed it. Johann [Bengtsson, bassist] and I like to crank up Slayer in the bus before we go onstage for every show, so that was just amazing. Y’know, like, that’s Tom Araya’s bass!”

With Morningwood and Action Action at le National on Saturday, April 15, 8 p.m., $15, all ages

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