Last month on this site, Jakob Mind (Jakob Arvidsson from Sweden) shared 5 releases that influenced his songwriting. As I wrote in the introduction to that post, Jakob (Rotten Mind and Real Tears) is a master in hitting that sweet spot between garage, punk and power pop. That skill is on full display on his solo debut LP The One Who Got Away that is out now through Lövely Records. In slightly less than 30 minutes, Jakob Mind treats us to a strong and varied collection of tunes. Songs like Watch The City Burn, Let Them Know and Too Fast To See are fast and melodic, like the ones Jeff Burke wrote for Marked Men and still writes in Radioactivity. They are my favorite songs on the record, and Watch The City Burn is a frontrunner for song I played the most in 2021. Rock n’ Roll Got Me All Messed Up also belongs in that category, it is an irresistible garage pop nugget. The remainder of the record shows that Jakob Mind is unafraid to incorporate different styles, tempos and influences. There even is a moody postpunk instrumental (The Little Evil One) in the middle of the album. The album closes strongly with another standout I Don’t Wanna Be (Around) You – that chorus gets me every time. I’ll be playing this one a lot this year.
Add to wantlist: Bandcamp