The tunes of Sweden's Alpaca Sports will get the band lumped in with a kind of jangle-pop lot. That makes sense given that the group's newest effort, Another Day, is on Elefant Records. And while that imprint is likely to rightly draw folks to a certain kind of indie, the songs here on this 2025 offering are resolutely bold and expansive.
On the bright "Tomorrow I'll Be Fine" and the swirling "Tell Me", Andreas Jonsson takes lead vocal duties. The compositions sound like The Wannadies to me, and that's pretty high praise, I think. The more diffuse "Another Day" is all mood, with vocals from Amanda Åkerman placing this in the orbit of sound ruled by bands like Saint Etienne and The Field Mice. That makes perfect sense given the production here by Ian Catt, as he's worked with both bands before.
On tracks like "Bluebells", a listener can even hear the influence of Prefab Sprout. Alpaca Sports are not afraid to broaden their own reach; synths and samples are just as important to this crew as a chiming guitar, you know? I dig that, and I dig that the sound is so fully realized here. "Slipping Through My Fingertips", to use one other example, blends a New Order-y use of guitar-and-keyboards behind Johnson's yearning vocals. With backing from Åkerman, the track achieves lift-off. Textured, warm, and full of smart hooks and expansive melodies, Another Day is a real winner, and certainly one of this month's most enjoyable new records.
Another Day by Alpaca Sports is out on Friday via Elefant Records.
[Photo: Carl Jirestedt]