Norra Hospitalet – Bakom Ljuset EP (Second Class Kids Records)

Norra Hospitalet is a distinctive female-fronted punk rock trio established earlier this year in Lulea, a town settled in northern Sweden. Without dissipating any time, the band held their initial gig after just two months of rehearsing and that was just first in a row of performances they have performed throughout the entire year. The band has entered the studio sometime in early July and recorded seven compositions for their première EP recording entitled Bakom Ljuset. Unlike the rest of the Swedish punk scene that is essentially comprised of anarcho, crust punk, hardcore punk, and d-beat bands, Norra Hospitalet shifts their music towards fundamentals of classic punk rock of the early eighties. The band considered every single viewpoint of their musical course, from retro-sounding instruments, thoughtful arrangements that vividly mimic the eighties sound, to the exceedingly executed production where all the instruments are correspondingly presented in the mix. Without any prior studio experience, Norra Hospitalet has managed to record a sumptuous EP that travels to days when punk rock was simplistic, vigorous, and heavy enough to blow your speakers. The band took all the best ingredients of the late seventies and early eighties but musically still meanders around local punk circles. With all the tools of the trade gathered in just a matter of a couple of months, Norra Hospitalet scored seven wonderful dancing numbers sung in their native Swedish language, but I truly assume you won’t spot any difference since these tunes sound so dynamic, anthemic and adequately listenable you’ll unquestionably press repeat multiple times. Bakom Ljuset has been published on a compact disc by Second Class Kids Records, but you can also check out Norra Hospitalet’s Spotify page and support their magnificent work out there.