Hell on Wheels

Swedish trio Hell on Wheels' fourth release, The Odd Church, finds the band at its peak in terms of both performances and songs. The record is a widow-rattling blast of classic indie rock (think the Pixies, Hefner, or the Verlaines) that won't change your life but will lift you up and shake you around a bit. Everybody needs that sometimes. The guitar and bass are spiky and steel strong, the drums are highly supportive, and the vocals are alternately unhinged (Rickard Lindgren's) and sweet (Åsa Sohlgren's). When the two intertwine, as on the lovely opening "Heard You on the Radio" or the impossibly hooky "Alexandr," it is as close to perfect as indie rock gets. The record is split between jumpy rockers that give the impression that the recording studio is bursting into flames ("As We Play," "Perversion," "Stealing Notes from the Devil's Notebook") and restrained, melodic numbers that are almost more powerful than the rockers ("Tuesday," "Frozen State," and the aforementioned "Heard You on the Radio"). The group's use of dynamics is torn from the Pixies' playbook, as are the wacky lyrics. No doubt that if you miss the Pixies and all that they stood for, then you might need some Hell on Wheels in your collection. But, and this is a big but, you needn't have ever heard a single note that the Pixies played to fall in love with this band and this record; it stands on its own as some of the finest rock you'll hear anytime, anywhere. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide