Pitchfork

Front page photo by Marius Hansen

Rather than grin and bear the string of bad luck that plagued the Concretes last year-- including an incident of gear theft, gig cancellations, and lead vocalist Victoria Bergsman's illness and eventual departure-- Sweden's perseverant indie-pop squad decided to grin and write an album about it.

Out now in Scandinavia, Hey Trouble arrives June 4 in the UK via the Concretes' own Licking Fingers imprint (also home to Frida Hyvönen and El Perro Del Mar). It collects 12 tunes, including recent single "Kids" and "Oh No" (both featured in Forkcast recently), from the melancholy outfit's post-Bergsman lineup. Releases in the U.S. and the rest of Europe are projected for fall of this year.

Hey Trouble features production and percussion from the Bear Quartet's Jari Haapalainen, backing vocals from Hyvönen and Club Killers' Anna-Maria Espinosa, and a duet with Little Wings' Kyle Field titled "If We're Lucky We Don't Get There on Time".

The Concretes will also follow up the recent Kids EP with the Oh Boy EP, out May 30 in Scandinavia and July 2 in the UK. The extended-player includes the title track (off Hey Trouble), a version with Ed Harcourt on vocals, a remix, and another B-side, "The Sentence".

Catch the Concretes as they console crowds an ocean away in the months to come.

Hey Trouble:

01 Hey Trouble
02 A Whales Heart
03 Kids
04 Firewatch
05 Didion
06 Oh Boy
07 Keep Yours
08 If We're Lucky We Don't Get There on Time
09 Souvenirs
10 Are You Prepared
11 Oh No
12 Simple Song

Oh Boy EP:

01 Oh Boy
02 The Sentence
03 Ed's Kids [ft. Ed Harcourt]
04 Justin's Kids [Justin Robertson and Mark Ralph Remix]

Warm nights:

05-25 Gävle, Sweden - Skottes Musikteater
05-26 Hässleholm, Sweden - Siesta
05-30 Copenhagen, Denmark - Lilla Vega
05-31 Lund, Sweden - Mejeriet
06-01 Aarhus, Denmark - Spot Festival
06-05 Birmingham, England - Academy 2 *
06-06 London, England - Luminaire *
06-07 Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms *
06-08 Leeds, England - The Cockpit *
06-09 Bristol, England - The Thekla Social *
06-10 Newcastle, England - Academy 2 *
06-11 Glasgow, Scotland - King Tut's Wah-Wah Hut *
06-16 Hultsfred, Sweden - Hultsfred Festival
06-29 Borlänge, Sweden - Peace & Love Festival
07-20 Skellefteå, Sweden - Trästocksfestivalen
08-10 Leicester, England - Summer Sundae Festival
08-11 London, England - Victoria Park (Field Day Festival)

* with Lawrence Arabia