Mikael Paskalev is a fresh new face from Norway, now based in Liverpool, who has been championed by online hipster Scandinavian music experts JaJaJa and The Line Of Best Fit – rather excellent recommendations, but then again it’s pretty easy to see what all the fuss is about. This guy is something special.
On 14th September, Paskalev released his eponymous debut EP via Pretty Boy Floyd Records and it’s worked a treat. Now I, and anyone else who’s wrapped their ears around it, would be queueing up to pre order a whole album, should the opportunity to do so arise sometime soon.
Jive Babe is the first track on the EP and is just one of those songs we all wish someone would write about us. Guns, jiving, clapping and a generally bright feel to it make this song very easy to put on repeat.
It’s one of those songs that makes you feel like you’re in a film as you walk down the street with your headphones on. I genuinely believe that should be what more people look for in a song…
The rest of the EP isn’t half bad either. I Remember You is a little slower but it’s addictive in pretty much the same way. I Spy is a foot-tapping, you’ll be humming and clicking your fingers for a while after the song stops playing. Finally, Jailhouse Talk is a little slower, more regretful – there are no roadtrips or clapping sessions with this track but it is gorgeous to listen to.
Mikhael Paskalev is one to catch live. He plays with a six-piece band and, by all accounts, everyone leaves having had a rather excellent time. You can hear the amount of fun he’s having in the recordings, so a live show would be a surefire way to watch that stomping chaos explode, in a happy way.
Here’s the EP, you can get it on iTunes.
fun to funky 