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The Ark

State of the Ark | Rebel Group
By ELISABETH DONNELLY  |  June 29, 2006
3.0 3.0 Stars

060630_ark_main1
PLATONIC IDEAL: The Ark
The Ark are the Platonic ideal of what you’d want from a glam-rock band: wrapped in leather and lace, unabashedly queer, with ridiculous hooks and brashly sweet guitar riffs. The key to their appeal is frontman Ola Salo, a fox on the run who could teach Hedwig a few moves and who can belt like Freddy Mercury when called for. State of the Ark is the Swedes’ third album but the first to get stateside release, and only after the import, which came out last year, garnered a surprising amount of attention. It’s a perfect introduction to the band: their slavish devotion to Queen has evolved into something more nuanced if still as bratty as they wanna be in a way that brings to mind a lighter shade of the Darkness. Sexy T. Rex bass lines lay the foundation for “This Piece of Poetry Is Meant To Do Harm” and “Clamour for Glamour”; the new-wave synths and backbeats of “Let Me Down Gently” and “Trust Is Shareware” give way to fluorescent guitars and supple vocal hooks. It's all super-catchy, proudly uncool, and European as the Scissor Sisters, campy soul mates who have already proved that we’re ready for the Ark to land on these shores.

THE ARK | June 30 | T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline St, Cambridge | 617.492.BEAR

On the Web
The Ark: http://www.thearkworld.com/

Related: Joni Mitchell, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, MARK LEMHOUSE, More more >
  Topics: CD Reviews , Entertainment, Music, Music Reviews,  More more >
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ARTICLES BY ELISABETH DONNELLY
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    The robot women of UV Protection claim, “We will protect you,” and it’s clear you want them on your side.
  •   THE ARK  |  June 29, 2006
    The Ark are the Platonic ideal of what you’d want from a glam-rock band: wrapped in leather and lace, unabashedly queer, with ridiculous hooks and brashly sweet guitar riffs.
  •   PSAPP  |  June 20, 2006
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  •   RUBBER ROOM  |  May 02, 2006
    Shipped to the Coolidge Corner Theatre all the way from Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse, Henri Mazza started off last Friday night with an audience challenge.
  •   NICOLAI DUNGER  |  April 04, 2006
    Sweden’s Nicolai Dunger has spent the past few years carving out a niche for himself as a consummate collaborator, working on recordings with The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Calexico, and Will Oldham.

 See all articles by: ELISABETH DONNELLY

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