Favourite Songs:

Translate The Change, Flannel Blanket, So Real, Still Life With Onions And Garlic


Wowee!! The Rollstons have left the relegation battle behind and are now stronger than ever on this first official full-length album. The album consist of the best songs from the two earlier cd-r albums ('Doing Time' and 'Earth Against World') and two songs from the seven inch vinyl are also included. Wonderful 'Symptons' is missing because they wanted it to be exclusively on the vinyl ep. The songs were re-recorded and mixed, so even if you own those cd-rs it's still worth getting this one as well. The new versions sound so excellent that even us indie-minded fuck-ups can't really say that the 'originals' were better. At least I can't. This bit more rockin' and louder sound scale gives something refreshing to the songs and make The Rollstons sound better than before without losing their originality and down-to-earth approach. If 'Doing Time' was guided by GBV, now these elements have moved to the background and aren't so obvious anymore. Well there still is certain familiarity and Guided By Voices and Pavement are the bands that seem to pop up in every review. Maybe rightfully so, because that's the easiest way to determine their music.

Our Grain Could Fill Your Stadium starts with two of my fave songs. 'Translate The Change' makes you raise your hands to the air and make a sing-along statement with The Rollstons: "Rock'n'Roll is ceromonial". Next one is 'Flannel Blanket' and this must be the current no:1 The Rollstons song for me. A kick-ass song with great lyrics. Let's all do high-fives underneath the blue sky. Third song 'Weekdays Are Schooldays, Weekends are mine' is probably the best known song by The Rollstons, but I wouldn't say that it's one of their best ones. Well I suppose I used to love it, but after a year or so I'm getting slightly bored with it and even the witty chorus "Hey Ronnie, Why Do You Look So James Dio" is not able to bring a smile on my face everytime I hear it. 'Still Life With Onions And Garlic' is also an old one, but this one haven't lost its touch and still sound marvellous. The following 'Depression Grows' and 'Cherry H.' are nice ones, but the next high point is 'Who Would Turn My TV Off'. A great little story about tv addiction which makes me realise that I probably haven't missed that much during my last three and a half years without a tv set. After little treats like wonderful 'Summerbee' and instrumental 'Theme For Oh5ty', distressed 'Dead Fly' starts to haunt you. Then there's six song remaining. 'Old Ages Comes With A Smile' is another great song while 'Balloons', 'Exploring The Fingerboard' and 'Art Of Running' are keeping the level high enough before the all-time fave 'So Real' comes up. 'So Real' is a definate masterpiece and the only song that actually lasts over 3 minutes. 'The Tourujoki River' concludes the album and describes the music of The Rollstons more accurately than this review:

"The Tourujoki River. Summer and a passionate game of football. Offside (just barely). Reclusion and seclusion. Recognition. A coffee break and an apple. Half conscious, yet fully aware. No regression, no progression, just expression. Familiarity. Simplicity. Lo-fi, high cry, oh my."

'Our Grain Could Fill Your Stadium' is a marvellous debut and ensures a safe mid-table position for The Rollstons. Let's hope things will progress well and they are able to push towards the places in the europe in the near future. If not to the major leagues than at least a few friendlies with their likeminded foreign collegues. Huge success with guitar-driven (and keyboard-driven) indierock like this could be out of reach, but the ones who are planning to erect a statue to Stephen Malkmus or own the majority of Matador Records' catalog will appreciate this. It's indierock in its finest form. Nothing fancy. Just great songs. Lyrical content is also quite remarkable. Sometimes you would like to rate the writer Mikko Valo as genius, but then a moment later you're so lost that you would like to slap him in the face and tell him to stick to the point.





The Rollstons Website


Written 18.05.2003