by Alex Truong – A&SB Contributor

Who says that Sweden only produces crazy metal? Stockholm’s own Robert Vadadi has produced an album that sort of sounds like Coldplay meets Story of The Year at a Bloc Party show where everyone is being pleasant and maybe re-hashing some girl problems.

One question that enters the head when hearing of Robert Vadadi is, “Does this guy have a sweet accent?” The answer: yeah, a little. With a decent pop sensibility driven by a modern rock engine, Vadadi isn’t creating a new genre by any stretch, but certainly isn’t blending into generic obscurity like Kevin Jonas will in ten years. The self-described sound of “emo/shoegazer based rock” is accurate to an extent, with a little bit more emphasis on the second half.

Vadadi is a relative unknown, but has managed to construct an album consisting of safe,  but solid tracks. “Loveless,” the first track, exudes the feel of a pop song with power chords and palm muting, but the best part is the keyboard outro about 15 seconds from the end. It is a completely obvious progression, but there’s something reassuring in its simplicity. The first track’s title denotes a lyrical direction that is consistent throughout the album and is also denoted by track titles like “Heartbeat” and “Forgive Me.”
Did I mention pop sensibility?

Most of the tracks are upbeat and reasonably paced, with “Serenity” being an aptly named track taking more from the emo/shoegazer influence than from modern rock. “Forgive Me” builds well off of “Serenity,” starting as an emphatically emo track with interludes of crunching guitar and epic, 80’s love story drumming.

Vadadi has a clear understanding of track and album formation, and proficiently handles the structuring of his tracks in a complementary way. Each track builds on the foundation of the last, which is a refreshing approach to album progression.

The hardest part of being an artist like Vadadi isn’t breaking the mold, but using his more solid tracks as a backdrop for innovative ones that push the envelope and develop a distinctive style. If Robert Vadadi can continue to produce such a consistent sound while slightly innovating in a positive direction, we should be seeing more of him in the future. Vadadi can be listened to at his last.fm and, of course, on Myspace.

Pompeii’s latest effort, Nothing Happens For A Reason – out now on Eyeball Records, is available for streaming here. We promise you that this record is a great accompaniment to Fall activities such as: pumpkin carving, leaf crunching, beard growing, cave-cricket fighting, violent crimes, apple picking, squirrel dodging, pie baking and hot cider drinking. Delicious. Nothing Happens For A Reason is riddled with warm tones, delicate hooks and some of the finest album artwork I’ve ever seen (judge this book by it’s cover) by the talented Elizabeth RIccardi.

For fans of: Death Cab For Cutie & Explosions In The Sky.
$10 | PURCHASE | STREAM

Photo credit: Jason Debiak

Our good friends in E For Explosion have headed out on the road with the likes of The Reign of Kindo, City Lights & a slew of other bands. Check them out if you want to hear a lush mash-up of My Bloody Valentine, The Jealous Sound & early Jimmy Eat World. Tour dates are posted after the jump and visit their MySpace for even more tracks.

E For Explosion – Sunday

07.13.08 – Columbus, OH – Bernie’s Distillery
07.14.08 – Pittsburgh, PA – Garfield Artworks
07.15.08 – Shamokin, PA – Tuesday Tunes – w/ Scenes & Sirens, Racing Kites
07.17.08 – Olean, NY – Cojones Cantina – FREE SHOW
07.18.08 – Buffalo, NY – Xtreme Wheels
07.19.08 – Trenton, NJ – Hamilton Lanes – w/ The Reign of Kindo
07.20.08 – Cambridge, MA – The Middle East – w/ The Reign of Kindo
07.21.08 – Hamden, CT – The Space – w/ The Pink Spiders, The Reign of Kindo
07.24.08 – Syracuse, NY – Castle Rockmoore
07.25.08 – Mountain Lakes, NJ – The Underground
07.26.08 – Harrison, NJ – Post 282 – w/ The Reign of Kindo
07.27.08 – Philadelphia, PA – The M Room – w/ The Reign of Kindo
07.29.08 – Blacksburg, VA – The Lantern – w/ Scenes & Sirens, Stereo Skyline
07.31.08 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
08.02.08 – Gainesville, FL – 1982 Bar
08.06.08 – Raleigh, NC – The Brewery
08.08.08 – St. Louis, MO – The Fubar
08.09.08 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater
08.12.08 – Evansville, IN – The Internet Cafe
08.17.08 – West Chester, PA – Union Ramp
08.23.08 – Toledo, OH – Headliners
08.24.08 – Fort Wayne, IN – Miss Q’s Live Music Complex
08.27.08 – Southgate, MI – Modern Exchange
08.30.08 – Columbus, OH – The Basement