Future Elephants? – The Past Was A Blast

I really like Future Elephants?. Not just for their great music but also for the full concept that best can be described as contemporary retro. Their product has the same quality as everything that was great about the seventies and still manages to feel fresh and valid. This goes for the music, the sound, the production as well as the products packaging.
These Swedish veteran rockers have just released their third album “The past was a blast…” and just as like their two previous efforts the vinyl is delivered in high quality paper gatefold cover, or is it called cardboard? Either way I love it, this is how all albums should be packaged.

The sleeve motive is following the same style as the previous two efforts. The first album front cover presents a picture of the band in a purplish light, the second album in a greenish light and the new one in blue. I usually don’t like when bands are on the front covers, but Future Elephants? has found their own style that really works. Another thing with the design that I really like is the band’s logo/symbol, a scope with an upside-down guitar in the center.

What about the music? Well, as with the last album the band has managed not to repeat itself, but they still maintain their unique style and sound. They still sound very much like Future Elephants? but with a will to extend what that is with every release.

In my opinion this is their greatest album so far, and I really like their two first albums, so that is a good verdict. “The past was a blast…” features eight mostly great songs and has a running time of 36,54 minutes. The length is also a plus in my book, most albums in the seventies was often around 38 minutes. This makes you long for more when the album is over as opposed, in my opinion, to CD’s that are around 80 minutes long. Quality before quantity is the recipe for a great album, something the band has fully embraced.

Side one starts with “Shake the snake” a pretty cool rocker that was also the albums first single. A good opening track but hardly the best song on the album.

“Ground Floor Man” is more a suggestive and a mid tempo song in the style that the band does so good. I really like this one.

“Walking with a dead man” starts with a cool kind of classic music intro before a heavy guitar riff with a suggestive bass line takes over. This song has an almost psychedelic feel with a very strong refrain. The track also features great guest vocals from Aida Jabbari. This is at least as good as the previous song.

“Rain” starts with a cool bass line that reminds me a bit of the bass in “Billy Jean”. This song is very mysterious and suggestive as well. The drums and guitars is playing exactly what the song needs and the lead vocals from Holegård is the icing of the cake and it certainly doesn’t hurt that Aida Jabbari once more lends her beautiful voice to some additional vocals. Great song, again.

Side 2 of the vinyl starts with “The Judge” and this is the first song with Future Elephants? that I’m not that found of. It’s not a bad song, it just doesn’t do it for me. It’s a bit boring and the brass doesn’t help… I usually skip this song when I listen to the album.

“The Planets Crusaders” reminds me a bit of ZZ Top and something else that I can’t put my finger on. Still a great kind of boogie song that makes me feel good.

“Peter’s Demons” is one of the albums best tracks. Sometimes it has a scent of Blue Öyster Cult, which I love. Parts of the melody in the guitar solo also reminds me of something, I’m not sure of what, but I like it.

The last song on the album “Drink” is also the best song on the album, in my opinion. The feel of the song is fantastic and features everything that I love about Future Elephants?. Some very tasteful bass lines from Lundquist and Holmbergs amazing guitars along with Holegård’s vocals and more guest vocals from Jabbari not to mention Frenzels drums, whom also plays keyboards on the album.

Future Elephants? always makes me long for more…
Now I only need to catch them live in concert, soon…

Artist: Future Elephants?
Title: The Past Was A Blast
Label: S-Rock Music Production
Date of release: 3/3-2023
Time: 36.54
Rating: 8/10
Standout track: Drink, Peters Demons, Rain, Walking with a dead man, Ground Floor Man