POP MUSIC
Wednesday, March 23, 2005; Page C05
The Washington Post
Soundtrack of Our Lives
Mention current Swedish rock singers and the name that's likely to pop into most heads is Pelle Almqvist of the Hives. But Ebbot Lundberg is the Scandinavian howler most worthy of household-name status. First with Stooges-worshiping maniacs Union Carbide Productions and for the past decade as frontman for Soundtrack of Our Lives, his DNA is woven into one of Swede-rock's most diverse and enduring bodies of work. TSOOL drew a modest crowd to the 9:30 club Monday night, but the sextet leaped, strutted and stomped like it was entertaining an arena.
The group's latest disc, "Origin, Vol. 1," is a typical Soundtrack creation: rooted in the glory of late-'60s British rock, dusted with psychedelia and strewn with both boring duds and thrilling rockers. But also true to form, the band's live act puts its records to shame. Guitarists Ian Person and Mattias Baerjed wrapped Pete Townshend riffs around Lundberg's vocals on "Transcendental Suicide" and "Mother One Track Mind," while drummer Fredrik Sandsten (amusingly clad as a football referee) thumped out a pure Charlie Watts heartbeat.
The 90-minute show's main focus was "Origin" highlights -- its single, "Bigtime," was given a much-needed butt-kicking -- but Lundberg sounded sharp when reaching back for "Instant Repeater '99" and "Sister Surround." What TSOOL showed again Monday was that it is an outstanding live act, simply because it does what so many other rock bands can't: squeeze and shake every ounce of energy from its songs without ever falling prey to sloppiness.
-- Patrick Foster
