Band: Atta
Album title: I Just Love To Say O Called You
Label: Toypie Records
Distributor: Suburban
Release date: 01/05/2009 (Eur; Scandinavia= 22/02/2009)
Release: CD

This Kristianstad based Swedish band was brought into existence during early 2007, when singer/ guitarist Joäl Andersson, singer/ bassist Rasmus Ohlin, and drummer Agge Bones got together to start a Poppy Punk Rock act under the bandname of Gloryhole. Still, only the first couple of gigs were played under that name, and by September they were known under their current monicker. After only 6 rehearsals, the guys had already recorded their first 4-song demo Offence Is The Best Defense, which got very good reviews and landed the band a couple of gigs. Following getting voted “demo Of the Month” at US music site Punkrock.org, the band made a video for their song “Karaoke Night”

Only a few months later, the guys retrieved back into the studio, recording their I Just Love To Say I Called You full-length for an early 2008 release on their own Toypie Records label. After a great review in Groove (other magazines that had already praised the band included Edge Magazine and Close-Up) the album was signed for distribution through Sound Pollution. Gigs kept coming (25 during 2008), mostly in an 100 km radius from their homebase (exceptions being two gigs in Falkenburg, and one each in Köping and Stockholm), and the band even entered a couple of contest (getting into the finals at renowned Stockholm Café Opera, and winning the Miller Fresh Sounds competition). Additionally, the band was one of 4 acts chosen from their area to be part of the Bandit Unsigned compilation Burn All The Small Towns.

Reason for all this enthousiasm? Well, you only need to listen to the fresh sounds this trio produces to understand that they compose their music with a hightened sense for melody and sing-along factor! In fact, you only need to check out the songs posted at myspace.com/attaband, where you’ll find no less than 6 of the 12 songs off the album posted alongside the band’s newest recorded track “Unforgiven IV” (their contribution to the earlier mentioned compilation)! Poppy Punk Rock, it’s an acquired taste, and even then one will prefer one band over the other. Personally, I was rather into the genre when it was still an underground scene, and I kinda got bored due to so many wannabees jumpiing on a bandwagon that was already full! But Atta are alright…in fact, they’re not bad at all!

83/100

Tony.