Mando Diao: Long Before Rock N Roll

Swedish group Mando Diao aren’t quite as manic as the Hives, aren’t quite as heady or retro as the Soundtrack of Our Lives, and aren’t quite as poppy as Shout Out Louds. But they definitely have something going for them with a grab bag of garage rock and tight Brit-pop on the head-bobbing title track of this single. The band slows things down with “Popovic”, which comes through with a decent chorus. The lone problem might be how it meanders during the homestretch and seems a bit limp as it just passes the five-minute mark. Shorter is often sweeter, and this is true of “Cinderella”, which has a leaner, straightforward feel that resembles Interpol covering a Dave Clark Five song. However, “Chet Baker” seems like a wasted opportunity that should kick into three or four higher gears, but instead just limps along. The closing song (and video too) is once again the title track, this time fully fleshed out and well worth checking out.