In Deed - Everest (Extended Version) (2019)

Uppsala, Sweden's IN DEED, purveyors of timeless indie-pop of the highest order, are embarking on an improbable and thrilling third act with the release of their album EVEREST for the first time on CD in a completely new configuration with three brand new tracks, expanded from the Swedish vinyl-only version, on Los Angeles-based BIG STIR RECORDS. Drawing on the history of melodic rock from The Zombies to The Posies and beyond, with echoes of female-fronted luminaries like Blondie, The Bangles and The Primitives, the new release sparkles with an energy and wit that easily stands up to and transcends those influences. At turns it's sly, tender and ferocious in the tradition of both Swedish pop and decades of hooks and harmony from the US, UK and beyond: a thing of beauty that will capture ears and hearts worldwide.

The vitality of the material on the new record was solid evidence that this was no nostalgia trip. Linda Karlsberg's vocals range from a vulnerable coo on the likes of the jangly, Mersey-inflected “According to You” and the frankly gorgeous “Five Times a Day” to a searingly fierce howl (as heard on the single “Heart Attack” and the Farfisa-driven “Flavour of the Month”). Guitarist Richard Öhrn remains an encyclopedia of guitar tones and textures spanning the length and breadth of modern pop, and drummer Marcus Segersvärd likewise shuffles, grooves and pounds as each tune demands. All three core members contribute tunes to the In Deed songbook, while Jens Siilakka (bass) and Johan Hellander (keys and additional guitar) round out the celebrated live version of the group.

he resulting new edition is as essential as the original. Kicking off with the bracing new “Another Start” and the delicate “Five Times a Day”, rushing headlong into the original lead track “What Once Was” and the soaring recent single “Don't Need, Don't Care”, this Everest has the hooks to pull in new fans and reveal new facets of the band to the faithful. The additions of “Fantastic”, whose snarky sweetness brings the band's fellow nationals The Cardigans to mind, and the deceptively giddy current single “I'm Alright (When I'm with You)” make for a cohesive and absorbing album in the best pop-rock tradition: the new version still clocks in at under 43 minutes and without a trace of bonus-track fatigue. Everest is, in either format, a singular record for the ages.

Plans for the band's first-ever US tour and a return to perform once again for their ever-adoring UK fans make 2019 a watershed year for In Deed. If it's been too long in coming, it's still a dream come true, and Big Stir Records is extraordinarily proud of our role in bringing it to you!