James Green / Getty
Release Date: September 11
Artist: Shout Out Louds
Record Label: Merge Records
The Shout Out Louds' second album is already out in their native Sweden, and apparently the reviews are good. (It's hard to say for sure though because, you know, they're in Swedish.) If you're one of the approximately 5.99 billion people outside Sweden, you'll have to wait until September to hear if this promising band continues on its trajectory towards becoming a rock/pop force. Singer Alex Olenius knows how to write emotion-filled songs that don't drip with bathos, but his melodies lack radio discipline. Luckily, producer/countrymen Bjorn Yttling (of Pete Bjorn and John) is expert and wringing the most out of a good tune.