Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden.
The lineup: Amanda Bergman (vocals, synths), Gustav Ejstes (vocals, guitar, organ), Nils Törnqvist (drums), Petter Winnberg (bass, vocals), Pontus Winnberg (keyboards).
The background: When is a new band not a new band? Is it when one of its members has already co-written a hit single so technically perfect it should be studied at university? Most of Amason have previous. In fact, they’re a supergroup of sorts. Pontus Winnberg is a member of Miike Snow and the Avant half of songwriting/production duo Bloodshy & Avant, who created the aforementioned example of pop genius, Britney Spears’s Toxic. Amanda Bergman is a singer-songwriter who performs as Idiot Wind (and is, incidentally, the ex-wife of the Tallest Man on Earth). Then there’s Gustav Ejstes, the singer-guitarist from psych band Dungen, and Nils Törnqvist and Pontus’s brother, Petter, from Swedish alt-pop group Little Majorette.
They came together as Amason in 2012, taking their name either from an old make of Volvo or the female warriors of Greek mythology. Strangely, both make sense. Amason’s music – showcased on their debut album, Sky City – is functional, polished and slick, but with a wild edge: Bergman’s measured and assured vocals have a witchy quality that gives the songs a windswept wantonness. At their best, Amason sound like 80s Fleetwood Mac, with Bergman as both Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie, with a nod to someone more esoteric and Teutonic, like Nico.
At least half of the 12 tracks on Sky City are like a homage to the Mac at their most shinily languid. Some of them go off-piste, but the most impressive moments on Sky City genuflect before the Mac of Mirage and Tango in the Night, when Lindsey Buckingham was in his pomp. Duvan is great, with that lovely Lindsey-style loping beat and Bergman at her Stevie-est, singing about black skies and the oceanside with all the mystery she can muster. Kelly is more of a McVie moment, being a dead ringer for the lovely Little Lies.
Here is a good game: blindfold a friend, then play them Kelly. If they don’t think it’s a track from the forthcoming Fleetwood Mac album, smack them about the face with a copy of 1995’s Time. The guitar makes the sound of silk being twanged against bubinga and the sax solo is so 1987 . David Sanborn, is that you? Went to War, notwithstanding the garish title, is utterly Mac-ish, all ruffled rhythms and chiffon harmonies, so are Yellow Moon and Clay Birds. NFB is like a goth-country Mac meets the Pretenders. Älgen has a sped-up motorik pulse: think 80s Mac with drummer Mick Fleetwood ousted in favour of Joy Division’s Stephen Morris. The rest, sadly, nix the idea of this as a Mac lovefest. Elefanten recalls mid-70s Lennon at his most dirgey and moany. And The Moon As a Kite is more of a noir 60s girl-group thing. But ignore those and listen instead to Sky City’s Seven Wonders. Well, six.
The buzz: “Polished and slick”.
The truth: Half of Amason’s album will have you Mystified, tangoing in the night, etc.
Most likely to: Go their own way.
Least likely to: Make loving fun.
What to buy: Sky City is released on 14 August by Fairfax.
File next to: Fleetwood Mac, Haim, Destroyer, the Concretes.
Links: facebook.com/amasonband.
Ones to watch: Count Counsellor, House of 909, Terrace, Just Millie, Peluché.
