Stockholm's trio Escobar return with their third album, A Thousand Last Chances, and have proved that the "difficult third album" doesn't have to be that difficult after all. The first thing that is apparent when listening to this record is the pure quality of the songs that it contains. Whether it's the laid back folk/jazz feel of "Fly on the Wall" or the straight guitar pop of "Love Strikes", the band seem to effortlessly and skilfully turn out fine song after fine … mehrsong. The set opens slowly with the sublime ballad "cold night", seems add choice for the first track but it works. The gear soon shifts up a notch with "Big Sleeper", it's a catchy riff and infectious chorus really gets the album going. The eighties feel to "You got me" brings to mind such long forgotten bands such as Then Jericho and Railway Children. Things rock up slightly for "Violence", it moody darkness over a driving drum beat, is quite a change from the rest of the songs thus far. The aforementioned "Love strikes" is definitely the stand out track of the album, the chorus is has a sing-a-long anthem quality that should make it an instant radio hit. The remainder of the album is much of the same, all quality stuff. "Bring the Action" would not sound out of place on the sound track to a teen flick. All in all this is a fine album, with some well thought out tunes and some clever composition, but not too heady or pretentious, thus remaining a solid pop album, that should get you singing along. --Jamie Clark weniger

1 - Cold Night
2 - Big Sleeper
3 - You Got Me
4 - Fly On The Wall
5 - Love Comes First… mehr
6 - Violence
7 - Love Strikes
8 - Under These Stars
9 - Bring The Action
10 - Freedom
11 - Even If You Know Me
1 - Along Came This Band!
2 - It Almost Happened To Me
3 - Love Strikes (National Radio P3 Acoustic Session)
4 - Cold Night (National TV, TV4, Acoustic Live Performance)
5 - Bring The Action (National TV, TV4, Acoustic Live Performance)
6 - Love Strikes
7 - Bring The Action
8 - Cold Night (National TV, TV4, Acoustic Live Performance) weniger