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Euroband… Its like Eurovision with a dash more Eurovision Written by on February 7, 2011

Unashamedly a work of love by Eurovision fans for Eurovision fans, Euroband’s 2008 album “This is My Life” isn’t going to win any Grammy awards, but it’s full of energy an enthusiasm for the Song Contest.

Opening up the album is Fridrik Omar and Regina Osk’s own Eurovision entry, and the album’s titular track, a track I’m sure everyone is familiar with, which blends almost seamlessly into “Don’t Leave Without Me Now“, which of course is Celine Dion’s winning song. Finally, a version of the 1988 winner that I’m happy to listen to more than once.

When you have all this dancefloor filling speed, it’s a bit of a surprise to hear the slow tempo used with Wig Wam’s “In My Dreams” turned into a bit of a ballad (or at least the slow when you can get comfortable with someone while ordering a drink). It’s a good change of gears both for the song and the album itself.

I’m still not sure on this version of  “A Ba Ni Bi”, it seems too fast (even when you take Wig Wam out of the playlist). This is one of the dangers of an album like this, the huge amount of familiarity that the listeners will have with the source material. But on the flipside of that, there are songs here that you just can’t dance to the original, no matter how catchy they are.

That’s the strength of Euroband, in taking the original and preserving as much as possible while taking it to a 21st Century dancefloor. Yes even “Hold Me Now“, although Johnny Logan has sung that winner in every genre possible, so the song has already proved malleable enough.

There’s a pattern coming through here, just like any dance floor needs – a few fast ones, then throw in a slower one to get people buying drinks. So now it’s time for a slower one. Unfortunately  “By Your Side” is the weakest song on the album, and lacks any recognition to help the listener get into the song. It’s going to take a hardcore fan to spot where this is from.

Fridrik gets his moment next, with “Fire” bringing the mood back up and showing his musical chops with “Thinking of You”.

And then it’s the totally mad, but perfect sound, of “Making Your Mind Up” but in Icelandic. “Vid Sigrum Ad Ari” pretty much sums up the album. It’s fun, a bit light and frothy, instantly danceable to, requiring not much more in terms of concentration than having ‘fun’ switched on in your brain.

The Credheadz remix of “This is My Life” closes the album, bringing us back to where we all started, thirty minutes later in our lives, hopefully with a smile. It’s one for the more dedicated Eurovision fan (and fans of Euroband, obviously), so our regular readers should love it.

This is my Life is published by Hands Up Music and is available for digital download from Icelandic Music.

About The Author: Ewan Spence

British Academy (BAFTA) nominated broadcaster and writer Ewan Spence is the voice behind The Unofficial Eurovision Song Contest Podcast and one of the driving forces behind ESC Insight. Having had an online presence since 1994, he is a noted commentator around the intersection of the media, internet, technology, mobility and how it affects us all. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, his work has appeared on the BBC, The Stage, STV, and The Times. You can follow Ewan on Twitter (@ewan) and Facebook (facebook.com/ewanspence).

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