Sculpture Magazine

Clocking in at barely 25 minutes, Swedish trio Liechtenstein are rivaling The Ramones for the shortest full-length in music history with their latest, Survival Strategies In a Modern World.  However, this is where any similarities to the punk pioneers end.   With their dreamy vocals and seemingly simple pop parts, there are obvious comparisons to contemporaries The Pains of Being Pure at Heart or The Vivian Girls, in my estimation, there are direct parallels to the highly underrated '90s bands Huggy Bear and Tiger Trap.           

Either creating lush textures of instrumentation combined with interwoven harmonies, on "Postcard" or sounding like a '60s girl group with a surf guitar on "Sophistication", Liechtenstein love to use subtle distortion and “echo-drenched” vocals to create a sound that's both retro and modern at the same time.  Occasionally veering aggressive when venturing into a mixture of garage-pop drumming with darker lyrics on such songs as "Wallpaper Stripes" and "Reflections", it's clear this band packs a lot of talent into a mere 25 minutes.  Wistful, beautiful and occasionally heartbreaking and distant, Liechtenstein is a wonderful aural equivalent of their stoic and striking homeland.  Here's hoping they survive this modern world. 

Track List

01.     All At Once           

02.     Postcard

03.     Sophistication           

04.     By Staying Here           

05.     Wallpaper Stripes           

06.     Roses in the Park           

07.     Reflections           

08.     White Dress           

09.     The End