The Worrying Kind

Song: The Worrying Kind
Artist: The Ark
Album: Prayer for the Weekend



Back in 2006 I put the Ark’s “State of the Ark” on top of my favorite albums for the year. Little did I know that while it was released here in the states in 2006, it was released in their homeland in 2004. Talk about old news. Oh well, that’s how it goes. On a complete whim I looked up the band two weeks ago to see if they were working on new material, turns out they had… and released the follow up in April… LAST YEAR. Boy, where have I been.

The Ark are a big fantastic Glam Rock explosion that mixes insatiable hooks with melodramatic swagger. They’ve been called Sweden’s answer to the Scissor Sisters. I haven’t listened to their first two albums (selected songs I heard didn’t impress me) but from start to finish I couldn’t get enough of “State of the Ark.” Single “One of Us is Gonna Die Young” was a huge favorite of mine, as well as “Let me Down Gently,” “Trust is Shareware,” & “Deliver Us From Free Will.”

So it came with a little bit of disappointment that “Prayer for the Weekend,” their follow up, didn’t quite match those highs. Don’t get me wrong though… it’s a good record, just not as tight as “State.” I really like the lead title track, as well as “Absolutely No Decorum,” which was the initial single from the record. The most notable track (and probably my favorite) is “The Worrying Kind,” which won the 2007 Swedish Melodifestivalen contest. (Yeah, I haven’t heard of it either.) Sweden then entered the song into the Eurovision Song Contest the same year, but it came in at #18. (Marija Serifovic’s “Molitva” took the top prize. “Umbrella” was obviously disqualified.)

While not great, “Prayer for the Weekend” is a good album if you dig the Ark, but if you’re interested in the band you should certainly pick up “State of the Ark” first. Watch the videos below though… they are wacky!

Enjoy.

The Worrying Kind


Prayer For the Weekend


One of Us is Gonna Die Young (My favorite!)