Datarock

Red (Nettwerk)

By Emily Becker
Published: September 26th, 2009 | 12:00pm

Datarock would only be half as interesting if the group were American instead of Norwegian. It’s the oddness and specificity of the band’s version of American culture that makes Ketil Mosnes and Fredrik Saroea’s choice to wear matching red tracksuits endearing instead of gimmicky (even if said suits are now available for purchase from the band’s site).

Unfortunately there are times on Red, Datarock’s full-length follow-up to its 2007 debut, Datarock Datarock (Nettwerk), when Saroea and Mosnes chafe where they once charmed. The Molly Ringwald tribute, “Molly,” is non-descript, though it couldn’t be more appropriate since ‘80s nostalgia is peaking after the untimely death of John Hughes. “True Stories,” composed solely of Talking Heads song lyrics, is clever but empty. The band’s debut featured songs devoted to Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed as well as E.T., but the duo venerated their heroes more obliquely, and not surprisingly, these songs were more enjoyable.

“Fear Of Death” proves Datarock can still successfully write a song that is direct about its subject. The lyrics carefully balance the spoken narration of the verse, “I’m afraid to die / I think about it all the time / It won’t go away / It haunts me,” with a crooning chorus, “No, I don’t want to leave you / And I don’t want to deceive you / I am all yours / And I never intended / For it all to be ended.” It was wise of the duo to choose simple instrumentation throughout the song, which sets off the story’s stark words.

As the world shrinks, and teens all over the world grow up exposed to the same cultural influences, it will be more difficult to inspire bands like Datarock, who obsess over American music precisely because it is foreign. The rise of a global pop culture seems inevitable, but it may have the unfortunate side effect of stunting the creativity of its most loyal devotees. After all, if we take away Datarock’s inspiration, then they’re just a pair of guys with identical tracks suits and a drum machine.

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