Words by Audra Tracy

Has Sweden found the Fountain of Youth? Are they holding out on us? Because, well, ten years after the release of their beloved album, Dying To Say This to You, Helsingborg’s own The Sounds look no worse for the wear. In fact, after their performance at The Stone Pony on Thursday night, it was hard to tell if they’ve aged at all.

Fresh-faced and tight-bodied, together they took the stage in Asbury Park poised to host a night of nostalgia for the city by the sea. At 9:45 the band came out swinging, diving right into the songs from Dying To Say This to You, which they have been performing in its entirety during this tour. Fans squeezed together along the front of the stage, hanging on every word as fiery front-woman Maja Ivarsson led her band through their classic New Wave tunes like “Song With A Mission”, “Tony The Beat”, and “Painted by Numbers.”

“It feels like coming home”, Ivarsson said to the sentimental crowd between songs. “We love playing small intimate venues.”

Soon the space became even more intimate, as BIC liters, phone flashlights, and all the feels filled the air during the album’s sing-along ballad, “Night After Night”. If The Sounds were on a date with the crowd, this song definitely sealed the deal, creating one of the most chill-inducing moments of the night.

The rest of the tracks from Dying To Say This To You seemed to flash right by, making way for a string of songs from their other albums, including highlights like “Shake Shake Shake”, “Living in America”, and their new single, “Thrill.”

By the end of the set, Ivarsson was pretty affectionate with her audience, kissing hands, leaning into Snapchats and sharing her microphone with the most faithful fans in attendance. And there was no doubt about it – The Stone Pony was fully enamored.

“Thank you New Jersey for keeping me on my fucking toes tonight!”, she declared before sauntering off-stage with her sweaty cohorts. One can only assume they went backstage to imbibe some magical, age-defying elixir…

www.the-sounds.com

TheWaster.com | Asbury Park
12.05.16