Team Me : To The Treetops!

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/teammetothetreetops.jpg" alt="Team Me : To The Treetops!" /><br /> A bunch of young, enthusiastic multi-instrumentalists let in the studio and trying out everything in a reach of their...
Team Me : To The Treetop!
8.5 PID
2012 

Team Me : To The Treetop! To describe this record in one sentence could be relatively easy: a bunch of young, enthusiastic multi-instrumentalists let in the studio and trying out everything in a reach of their hands.  Unfortunately there’s much more to that than just meets the eye, and in this case – ear.

Team Me are getting the recognition they’ve probably been hoping for since day one of their existence: winning Norwegian Grammy, touring around the world, being featured in number of music publications… Unfortunately somewhere along the way (the end of January 2012 to be precise) they have lost a precious member as Synne Knudsen decided to leave the band due to her "personal and political principles" and "several other disagreements."  Through their Facebook account, Marius, Bjarne, Simen Schikulski, Simen Skari and Uno assured that they let her go without any grudges. 

And this is what their music appears to be all about: no drama, no hostility – just fun.  Even with quite heavy lyrics in places such as "I’m playing with the dangerous flame again / And I’m happy as can be when you are gone" in "Show Me" or "Mediocre friend put on a mediocre smile for me" in "With My Hands Covering Both of My Eyes I Am Too Scared To Have a Look At You Now", the music still remains a merry chaos with bouncy pianos, electronic blips, swampy guitars and chanted vocals accompanied by myriad of percussion and hand claps in the background.  It’s a multi-layered pop experiment full of epic melodies. 

A propulsive opener "Riding My Bicycle (from Ragnvalsbekken to Sorkedalen)" is to quote their own lyrics a "rhapsody, a melody and all the colours that you want".  Garish vocals of Marius D Hagen and now-absent Synne interweave with not only each other but also countless instruments in the background.  It’s a frisky tune with elation nearly exuberating from the speakers.  So is the next song, "Show Me" – a joyous chant carried out by a group of Norwegian youngsters. 

A breakthrough comes with "Fool" – soft acoustic intro, peaceful melody and striving vocals.  Followed by "Dear Sister", "Favourite Ghost" and "Looking Thru the Eyes of Sir David Brewster", these tunes constitute a slightly opposite part of the compilation, the mellifluous and twee part.

And when you’d think those hyperactive youngsters have settled down with that newly acquired sophistication, they strike again coming back to breathless vocals in a throb of "With My Hands Covering Both of My Eyes I Am Too Scared to Have a Look at You Now". 

All in all the whole composition is a merry chaos of grandiose pop melodies, multi instrumental excellence and youthful freshness taking the old and stiff pop world by storm. 

MP3 Stream: "With My Hands Covering Both of My Eyes I Am Too Scared to Have A Look at You Now"

{audio}/mp3/files/Team Me – With My Hands Covering Both of My Eyes I Am Too Scared to Have A Look at You Now.mp3{/audio}

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