Thoughts on Ida Maria: Fortress Round My Heart

That great sage of rock, Derek Smalls, once said that writing a rock song is like taking a shit--if it takes longer than 5 minutes, it's no good. Amen to that. There's simply too much poured-over, tempo-corrected, pitch-shifted bullshit out there right now. Ida Maria knows to keep it simple and never forgets to bring some tunes along for the ride.

In order to enjoy this record, you cynical indie fuck, you're going to have to look past the way Ida nonchalantly walks the line between accessible pop punk and Avril Lavigne/Ashley Simpson mall rock. You're also going to have to look past the fact she occasionally crosses that line. Get over it.

Instead, think about the good things here: the way "Queen of the World" sounds like "Vertigo" by The Libertines, or "Stella" rips off an old Motown track, or how "Oh My God" is an absolute classic brimming with barely concealed sexual energy. Ida Maria's got charisma, man, and if you can't handle that, then take your Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer records and fuck off.

"Oh My God" on Jools Holland:

And who knows, maybe it'll all go tits up on the next record. But that's beside the point. Good bands, like beauty, are fleeting. And I'm sure there will be some other sad bunch of indie cunts peering smugly down from their perch atop the Hype Machine popular list to run to when Ida Maria loses the plot. Until then, listen to Fortress Around My Heart and see how it's done.

"I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked" Promo:

"Drive Away My Heart"
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