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Millencolin

Home From Home

Label: Burning Heart Release Date: 11/03/2002

1620
DiSvsMatt by Mat Hocking April 10th, 2002

And so they return. Once more, with their infectious sickly sweet pop harmonies and driving, groovesome punk rock to bring us 13 trademark *Millencolin *choons that, as expected, bounce & bobb along with effortless style and cool.

**‘Home From Home’ **is the band’s fifth album and the follow-up to 2000’s hugely successful ‘Pennybridge Pioneers’, an album which saw them really get their heads down, dismissing the unpopular and, frankly, unsuited ska elements littering previous releases and focussing on the straightforward melodic punk sound that we’ve all come to love and expect from Sweden’s premier tunesmiths.

Here Millencolin’s trademark formula has blossomed nicely and although the commission of producer *Lou Gordiano *(Goo Goo Dolls, Samiam, Live…) may have seen a slight over-production this time around compared to previous harder-edged recordings the album is jam-packed full of sing-a-along anthems after another. The _“yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah” _opening of *‘Man or Mouse’ *is a perfect opener and despite showing a much poppier side, is one that’s sure to go down a treat live with a melody and chorus that, in true Millencolin fashion is just begging to be sung out loud live. Later track *‘Botanic Mistress’ *follows this style with a playful number, it’s poppy chorus tailor made for all the pogo-ing 14 year olds.

*‘Fingers Crossed’ *kicks off with an old-skool MC riff before heading straight into this new poppy vibe they’ve got going. The bouncy *‘Punk Rock Rebel’ *hops along in much the same vein as Rancid’s ‘Time Bomb’ (if not musically then lyrically) as vocalist Nikola laments about the “hardcore skater” whose punk rock attitude first provided the inspiration for him to get into punk and bless us all with his distinguishable tuneful voice.

Follow-up ‘Kemp’, one of the stand-out tracks on this album gets back into the MC swing with a razor-sharp hook that slices through Nikola’s silky croon in pure kick-ass style.

As brilliantly tuneful and packed with gorgeous sunshine-soaked grooves as it is, **Home From Home **just seems to lack the kind of impact that MC classics 'Life On A Plate' _and _'Pennybridge Pioneers' held. There’s certainly no doubt that Millencolin are one of the greatest pop-punk bands the world has seen but here it just seems their songwriting has been diluted somewhat.

But, whatever. It’s still a good album by anyone’s standards and impressive packaging & artwork to boot.

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