Rating: 
Liechtenstein is another band revisiting the musical stylings of the past, and while they claim to take their style from the early 80s, the band seems to owe a lot more to the the days of Motown. An all girl group with such sweet voices surely can’t stand without looking back into the history of American R&B. Still, with all debts to the past aside, Survival Strategies in a Modern World succeeds on various levels.
In order to really appreciate this album yourself, you have to realize that the band isn’t holding onto any pretensions; they aren’t claiming to be breaking any new musical ground. Fun. This is really all the band is aiming to do. Every piece of this album glistens with droplets of fun and earnestness. Such an attitude carries the album really far for most listeners, when they could have otherwise failed.
Another advantage of the album is it’s brevity. Before the sugary sounds can wear away the enamel on your teeth, the album is finished. Not a song goes beyond the 3.5 minute mark, and only nine songs create this work of revisionist art. Sure, you may be looking for more bang for your buck, but you won’t be displeased by this album; it doesn’t give you that chance.
Musically, just imagine listening to the first Concretes record on vinyl, only you decide that you want to speed up the RPMs so that it sounds like the Chipmunks, but instead it sounds precisely like Liechtenstein. Bass lines bubble throughout the album, shaking the speakers. California guitar chords work together, jangling along the basic skeletal remains of each song. Stir in some multiple part female harmonies and you have every bit of music you will hear on this album. Each song contains one, if not all, of these elements, with the only song that differs being the closer ‘The End,” only for its odd usage of acoustic guitar. It still kind of jangles.
Listening to this album, you’ll find that there is nothing particular that really jumps out at you. This isn’t dismissing the band, for the tunes are all quite enjoyable, as you should have gathered, it merely portrays the band in an honest light, just as the band has portrayed themselves. Their sincerity in creating these tunes surely comes across upon the first listen, which is precisely why you find yourself falling in love with this album, even as you question its merit. Just give it a chance; thanks to its brevity you have the time!
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/01-all-at-once.mp3]
Download: Liechtenstein – All At Once [MP3]
How this band snuck under my radar yet again is beyond me, but I’m glad I stumbled across their new album today. It’s titled Fast Forward, and it just came out this week on Fraction Discs, the band’s Swedish label. Last time out, the band had support from Slumberland Records, but it’s not like they’ll need the extra love, as this album certainly speaks for itself. This time around the record’s got a lot more bounce to it, and the girls seem to have tightened things up just a bit, making it a bouncy collection of really solid tracks. Definitely worth your time and dollars!
