Hem (Alter Echo, 1979)

There are so many one-shot bands in all Countries... and most of them left no enduring trace. But sometimes I happen to listen to a good album or a good song and then  I find out that was from a very short lived band. That's exactly the case with the Swedish act Alter Echo, whose sole self-named work has a special and refreshing grace IMHO. Take this song called "Hem" (that's to say "Home" in English). As all the songs in the album, it was released on a cassette tape in 1979, then re-recorded in 1997 for Muséa label.

This is, of course, the 1997 re-release cover art.

It's a very pleasant song, lining up acoustic moments, effective vocal harmonies and electric guitar touches. It was definitely a good idea to ask those four musicians to come back and play once more their music: their delicate and bright sound deserved a second chance! Of course, this song is so strongly rooted into the '70s ground that I retained the original cassette date instead of the CD release year. I'm sure you'll agree with me.