David and the Citizens - David and the Citizens EP

If Pablo Picasso’s statement, “Good artists copy; great artists steal,” holds true, David and the Citizens are great musical artists. Collaging together the sounds of the iconic bands of the last four decades, the Swedish rockers have had a number-one hit on MTV’s Up North and have been nominated for a Swedish Grammy. With the release of their EP David and the Citizens on Brooklyn’s Friendly Fire Recordings in March 2006, the band may finally get the recognition they deserve on this side of the Atlantic.

Cheery, feel-good riffs make David and the Citizens a summertime staple. Excited drums and harmonious horns kick start the album’s first track, “Greycoated Morning.” Tenderly reminiscent of Van Morrison, its chord progressions and vocals are passionate yet lyrically tinged with sadness. “Now She Sleeps in a Box in the Good Soil of Denmark” downshifts to a melancholy voice wavering, made even more comparable to Bright Eyes by the keyword triggers “story” and “soil” (as in Bright Eyes’ Lifted or The Story is in the Soil Keep Your Ear to the Ground). The telltale sign of emo is apparent in its short, fast guitar strumming. David and the Citizens don’t wallow in their sadness for long, though. “Big Chills” is a danceable song in the textured vein of The Killers. “Let Me Put It This Way” is acoustic with a sprightly upstrum. It features the three-beat clap of The Beatles’ “Eight Days a Week” before the next track, “Summer Is No-Man’s-Land” launches into the same harmonica intro of The Beatles’ “I Should Have Known Better.” The album ends with “Let’s Not Fall Apart,” a dizzying melody complete with guitar scales. It sounds like a poppy Counting Crows tune made even merrier because of less emotion-tinged vocals. With only six songs, David and the Citizens feels too short, so be on the lookout for the full-length Until the Sadness is Gone due out later this year.

David and the Citizens’ bandmates include David Fridlund (vocals, piano, acoustic guitar), Magnus Bjerkert (trumpet, organ, piano), Mikael Carlsson (electric guitar, percussion, backing vocals), Alexander Madsen (electric guitar), Conny Fridh (bass) and John Bjerkert (drums). The band formed in 1999, yet already has had a documentary made about them. Of course, this is because in Europe the band has released a full-length LP, For All Happy Endings, and—thanks to their reputation for lively stage presence—is a popular act in indie-rock festivals. Wake up, America, David and the Citizens—along with fellow Swedes The Sounds and Dungen—are on the verge of international stardom.