Best albums of 2010: #4 The Radio Dept. “Clinging to a scheme”

A hearty welcome this morning as we delve ever deeper towards my favourite album of 2010, with this my number four album, “Clinging to a scheme” by The Radio Dept. To those religious sorts out there, pardon the blasphemy of this statement but… Holy god! This album blew my mind on first listen (which really should tell you lots about albums three through one on this list).

At the time, I had not heard one iota about The Radio Dept. and now thirteen years later, I couldn’t even tell you how they ever crossed my radar. I do remember, however, that after realizing that “Clinging to a scheme” was the Swedish indie rock band’s third album, I immediately dove into their back catalogue to see from whence this glorious sound developed. There were only these two other full-length albums to speak of, their releases spread liberally from 2003 to 2010, as if they only really recorded when the mood took them. A foreign concept, for sure, but one that seems to work for them, since 2003’s “Lesser matters” and 2006’s “Pet grief” are both really solid records.

The idea of the band and its name had roots in music made by friends Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson in Lund, Sweden, way back in 1995. This partnership was short-lived, however, and when Duncanson continued making music with others three years later, he did so using the same moniker. Nowadays, the lineup seems focused around the core of Duncanson, Martin Larsson, and Daniel Tjäder. And I say ‘nowadays’ but really, they’ve continued the trend of sporadic releases: a 2011 compilation album called “Passive aggressive”, a full-length in 2016 titled “Running out of love” and a handful of EPs and singles peppered in between.

But let’s get back to “Clinging to a scheme”, shall we?

As I already mentioned above, this particular music fan’s mind was blown on the first listen to said album. All of its elements – the droning, reverb-laden guitar work, the slacker vocals, the Madchester rhythms, the seemingly random samples – all called to mind the music I listened to in the early 90s but were updated enough in all to sound fresh. In its ten tracks, I heard a bit of Ride, some Chapterhouse (very early Chapterhouse), and yes, The Stone Roses. So of course, I would find the music appealing. But there’s something more here. Perhaps it’s an innocence or maybe just an apathy towards everything outside the musicians’ collective spheres. When listening to it, especially on earphones, the music becomes like a force field against all the evils of the outside world. It is beautifully dreamy, like a massage for the soul or a metaphysical drug on par with soma.

Speaking of drugs, have you had a look at the album’s cover? What exactly is that young fella doing? I don’t know if the band condones drug use or if this is a statement of some sort or perhaps I’m reading it all wrong and it’s simply tobacco. Either way, I could see the psychedelic nature of the music lending itself to further enjoyment with the use of recreational drugs… if you were into the type if thing. And if not, do like I do: turn it up loud, close your eyes, let the rhythm rip through you, and just float lazily on its airy melodies.

To start you on your journey, here’s my three picks for you, just a sample of the 10 great tracks from the album:

---

“Never follow suit”: Like most of the songs on “Clinging to a scheme”, the beat is danceable but on track four, it’s also slow and meandering. There’s a hint of reggae or dub in its aesthetic, digitized spasms mimicking steel drum explosions, and the keyboard riffs add to this feeling of aimless wandering, like it’s the journey and not the destination, and never caring if you get lost. In the middle of the track, we get an interlude, a sampling from a mid-80s documentary, an esoteric easter egg that I might never have hunted down if it didn’t tickle my brain so.

“Heaven’s on fire”: This one starts with a sample of a Thurston Moore ramble on youth culture and big business, making you think it might get social or political (or socio-political), and then, that beat kicks in and pretty much all of that is forgotten… You could read into the lyrics that Johan Duncanson is expressing his distaste for big music and couching it in a sweet sounding indie pop song that courts mainstream in an offhand way. “We’re outnumbered by those who take no pride in constantly moving against the tide.” But it could just as easily be about a strong dislike for some other person and a kiss off on the way to the dance floor. Either way, I makes me happy whenever I listen to it.

“This time around”: And just listen to this track! Do I really need to explain why it is so great? When I counted down my favourite tunes of 2010, it came in at number four, not a bad result at all for a song that it wasn’t even released as a single. In that post, I waxed poetically about The Charlatans because it felt to me that “This time around” sounded pulled out of the same gene pool as the rest of the great tracks on “Some friendly”. But it’s also Chapterhouse exuberance set against a drum beat that might make Reni of The Stone Roses blush. Whenever I listen to it, I feel like I want to explode into a frantic dance à la Keith Flint or Bez. But enough of the name drops. Let’s go let go!

---

Stay tuned for album #3. In the meantime, here are the previous albums in this list:

10. Diamond Rings “Special affections”
9. Bedouin Soundclash “Light the horizon”
8. LCD Soundsystem “This is happening”
7. The Drums “The Drums”
6. The New Pornographers “Together”
5. Stars “The five ghosts”

You can also check out my Best Albums page here if you’re interested in my other favourite albums lists.