Johnossi - All They Ever Wanted (2008)

After breaking out in the late 2000s, Swedish rock duo Johnossi transformed
a simplistic guitar-and-drums formula into a dynamic and sometimes epic
sound that earned them perennial Top Ten chart placements throughout the
following decade. With just two instruments between them, singer/guitarist
John Engelbert and drummer Oskar Ossi Bonde play fiery rock missives that
alternate between garage grit, atmospheric alt-rock, post-punk, and
pop-leaning stadium bangers. As with their popularity in Sweden, the duo's
sound grew in size during the latter half of the 2010s, giving them an
image they sought to downplay with 2020's more low-key Torch//Flame LP.

Johnossi cranks up the volume on this sophomore effort, which replaces the
band's folksy tendencies with a newfound love for decibels and distortion.
Frontman John Engelbert and drummer Ossi Bonde first appeared in 2006 as a
fierce pop/rock duo, injecting shuffling tracks like "Man Must Dance" with
blasts of guitar and percussive thunder. All They Ever Wanted lays its
cards squarely on the rock side of the table, however, ditching the
loud-and-soft mix that made the duo's debut so appealing.

There's still a lot to love here: the opening track, "18 Karat Gold," is an
irresistible mix of melody and muscle; "Up in the Air" boasts a nice power
pop chorus; and "Party with My Pain" samples a line from the Presidents of
the United States of America's "Lump" before dissolving into elastic garage
rock. But the album's best moments pale in comparison to the highlights
from Johnossi's debut, and there's nothing along the lines of "Family
Values," a surprisingly beautiful ballad that showed the depth of
Engelbert's songwriting in 2006.

Those depths are still there, but they've become a bit muddled by the
band's new direction, and All They Ever Wanted is spotty as a result.