Salem at Nokia launch in Stockholm, and another couple of great album reviews

Last night Salem played at the press launch of Nokia's new 5800 Comes With Music phone. The event was held in the Ambassadeur club in Stockholm, and Emilia and Marit Bergman also appeared at this event. Kulturbloggen has a video clip of Salem and his band performing the wonderful "Roxy" - check it out at http://kulturbloggen.com/?p=8175.

There is a fabulous 5 out of 5 review of "Astronaut" by Sven Ove Bakke in Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet:
http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/03/31/kultur/musikkanmeldelser/musikk/salem_al_fakir/5550541/

I liked it so much I've translated some of it as follows:

"From the Toto-replica "Roxy" via a retro futuristic twist on a Graham Nash / David Crosby-thing ("Bluest Eyes") to soul, funk, airy pop and even some lively rockers. "Now's The Time" could be a new Oasis song, had it not been that the refrain is more catchy than most from the last ten years. It smells mostly of the 80s, but Salem, illustrates that decade's sound with significant roots in the present. Even the most obvious pastiche (Toto song) has contemporary depth ...For you everything is possible. You can create things and you are 100 percent natural."

Back to Sweden, and Eskilstuna-Kuriren's Mikael Barani loves "Astronaut" too. Read the review at http://ekuriren.se/kulturnoje/1.7235 and again I thought it was worth a translation so here's some of the review:

"A sequel to Salem's acclaimed debut "This Is Who I Am" will receive the ovation and cheers also. Astronaut is an incredibly ambitious album, filled with both large and intimate moments to look back on the 60s, 70s and 80s. ...."Bluest Eyes...feels like an updated Riders on the Storm by The Doors, with a message about having a critical attitude to the broadcast on our televisions....Salem's voice carries a kind of vulnerability...and represents a large part of the magic of "Astronaut". In the orchestral "Purple Lady", Salem's ability to create with his voice a warm atmosphere....the journey here has been revolutionary".

So here we are at the end of March. What a fabulous month it has been, which began with the release of the "Astronaut" single and Salem's appearance on Popcirkus...and ended with the "Astronaut" album receiving universal critical acclaim and commercial success in Sweden.

And what will April bring?.....Salem on tour!!