When
Nikola Sarcevic's first solo project,
Lock-Sport-Krock, was released in 2004, fans were shocked by how different it was from his work as
Millencolin's lead vocalist. Instead of embracing the sort of brash, stomping, boisterous punk that
Millencolin is known for,
Sarcevic the solo artist moved in a much calmer, more introspective folk-rock/adult alternative direction -- minus the rest of
Millencolin,
Sarcevic favored an approach that drew comparisons to John Mayer and
Gin Blossoms rather than
NOFX,
the Clash or
Cock Sparrer. But the Swedish singer didn't become a full-time solo artist, and
Kingwood -- his first post-
Lock-Sport-Krock album with
Millencolin -- finds him hell-bent for punk once again. This 2005 release doesn't contain even the slightest hint of
Lock-Sport-Krock's singer/songwriter aesthetic;
Kingwood is punk all the way, and the Swedes spare no passion on melodic but in-your-face offerings like "Mooseman's Jukebox," "Farewell My Hell" and "Shut You Out." Guitarist
Erik Ohlsson has claimed that
Kingwood is, as of 2005, "our best, most focused record yet"; the 'best' part is questionable, and many longtime
Millencolin fans will insist that
Pennybridge Pioneers is still the band's crowning achievement. But
Ohlsson certainly speaks the truth when he describes
Kingwood as focused;
Millencolin does bring a lot of conviction to this material, which thrives on the sort of simplicity and gut-level rawness that old-school punk was known for back in the late '70s and early '80s.
Kingwood isn't as essential as
Pennybridge Pioneers, but it's still an inspired, enjoyable addition to
Millencolin's catalog -- and while
Sarcevic has a lot of potential as a folk-rock singer/songwriter, it's good to know that he can still belt out punk with a lot of passion and fury. ~ Alex Henderson