Review Summary: Swedish screamo outfit Döda Löv set themselves up for what is hopefully a very bright future.
12 minutes isn't a long time for an introduction. Sometimes, 12 minutes is all we get to express ourselves - a job interview; a presentation; a bus ride with that boy/girl you've always liked and finally got the nerve to do something about. However, these scenarios show that while 12 minutes isn't enough to adequately display our most interesting idiosyncracies, it's more than enough time for somebody to make a first impression about ourselves. It's this time frame that Döda Löv have allotted to showcase themselves with 'Allt Vi Har Kvar' and indeed, while not on its own is it set to change the world of screamo forever, it sets the precedent for what could be a very promising full length release.
Opener 'Speglar' starts as they mean to go on - post-rock influenced guitar lines conjoin with dynamic drum sequences and coarse, emotional screamed vocals dealing with regret and loneliness to create a sound not unlike that heard from fellow countrymen 'Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket', if slightly more rough around the edges. This approach is barely changed across the EP's five tracks, as they undulate between the energetic, hardcore-fuelled verses and the soft, fragile interludes that have become such a trademark of the genre - a path that, while well travelled, is so well-executed here that they don't appear shoehorned into each track in the slightest. It makes the whole package very pleasing, and while not catchy in the conventional sense contains something that makes repeat listens a very attractive prospect. Indeed, the main issue here is how quickly it's over, not the quality of the music itself - the idea of what more they could achieve with a longer run time is both tantalising and frustrating in equal measure.
Despite the brevity of the EP meaning that it can be difficult to confirm their abilities as interesting songwriters over an extended period of time, one would hope that given a longer format Döda Löv can bring in a few more individualities to their music which, despite feeling like it's been done before, is already well-written and as impacting as screamo should be. What these individualities may be are hopefully not too far on the horizon.
They also say that emotional pain only lasts 12 minutes. Although this is likely an old-wives tale, it seems strangely fitting here, doesn't it?
