The relative lack of buzz surrounding this new KALEO album has been an interesting thing to observe— the Icelandic band’s name arguably carries a lot less weight than their biggest hits do, leaving KALEO with a more niche audience than their success on streaming might indicate. Nonetheless, Jökull Júlíusson and company have struck back with new LP ‘MIXED EMOTIONS,’ finally bringing an end to the four year wait since 2021’s ‘Surface Sounds.’ It’s a shame that the album is living up to its name for us though: while ‘MIXED EMOTIONS’ may still sport all the punchy rock’n’roll elements that made a record like ‘A/B’ so infectious, the end result this time is a little less energetic than we would’ve liked.

KALEO seem near-determined to shake their hard rock roots on their new record: far from the triumphant statement that was ‘No Good,’ opener ‘Bloodline’ instead sets the album up to be a distinctly moody affair. The track creeps along, propelled by grim bass lines and some eery guitar leads— it’s more of a foot-tapper than a real head-banger, though the song’s grinding sound design and infectious back beat nonetheless make for a strong, if somewhat monotonous, beginning to the project. A similar restraint comes to define the politically-charged ‘USA Today,’ which captures a bitter atmosphere without needing to up the tempo: instead, the track pairs its miserable lyrical themes with minimalist string inclusions and a mournful vocal delivery to really sell the desperation at the track’s core. ‘USA Today’ is also allowed to benefit from some of the most striking sound design on the project, letting blasts of distortion cut through the mix in a unique, intriguing fashion— though this may not be the KALEO we’ve come to know and love, it is a creative and well-considered direction for the group.

“It's just another shooting

It's just another tear behind the eye

Hit the ground running

Not a cloud is moving in the sky”

It’s not until the stomping grooves of ‘Rock N Roller’ and ‘Back Door’ that KALEO finally launch back into the hard rock we’ve been waiting for: despite some gripes, we’re pleased to report that these cuts absolutely bring the heat. ‘Rock N Roller’ may suffer from an uncharacteristically muddy mix, but its bluesy riffs and energetic spirit nonetheless shine through— Júlíusson’s vocals are always at their best when he’s allowed to cut loose, and his fry screams elevate the cut to lofty heights. Admittedly, we’re not quite as excited by ‘Back Door:’ though the cut has all the trappings of a hit for KALEO, its obnoxious drum beat really does kill a lot of the momentum the song is trying to build. Even still, it’s a track full of catchy vocal refrains and stomping guitar riffs, and our complaints are sure to ultimately fall on deaf ears as a result.

The remaining six tracks on ‘MIXED EMOTIONS’ are all ballads— Júlíusson clearly has a lot to get off his chest here, exploring themes of isolation, legacy, and lost love throughout much of the project. From the off, devoting more than half of your rock’n’roll album to flowery country-tinged sob stories is a hard sell, and it’s not one that KALEO pull off all-too gracefully: these six ballads choke the record, reducing the second half of ‘MIXED EMOTIONS’ to a crawl. Granted, the group have always been ones to indulge in slower, darker songs— even their biggest hit ‘Way Down We Go’ is something of a mood piece— but the group’s newest LP nonetheless feels particularly weighed down by melancholy.

Truthfully, these ballads are mostly pleasant in isolation, even if they do feel quite self-indulgent. ‘Run No More’ has no right being six-minutes in length, but the track’s triumphant crescendo and soaring backing vocals do make for a climactic moment for the record, and a powerful emotional statement. ‘Memoirs’ is another poignant cut, displaying a sweet interplay between the song’s shifting string accompaniments and muted singing. The record often feels like it should be soundtracking the final moments of a western, as Júlíusson makes his peace with riding off into the sunset: it’s sentimental, and admittedly rather sweet.

“I can die a happy man

I've been blessed with many things

I've seen more places than most people have

Would I do it all again?

Perhaps I'd change a thing or two here and there, well”

The weaker ballads really do drag the entire project down though, reducing moments of ‘MIXED EMOTIONS’ to a slog. ‘Lonely Cowboy’ is about as ham-fisted as it ever could be, meandering through a forgettable country-influenced jam like the band are on autopilot: though the song is clearly meant to tug at the heartstrings, it has a better chance at sending us to sleep with its repetitive chord voicings and static sound palate. The overly indulgent falsettos of ‘The Good Die Young’ and melodramatic keys of ‘Legacy’ suffer a similar fate: though none of these songs are flat-out unenjoyable, KALEO leave us wishing they were having more fun more often than not. At least the record’s closing number brings back the distorted guitars for one last hurrah, short lived as it may be.

‘MIXED EMOTIONS’ leaves us feeling just that. There are certainly some strong tracks to be found here, both energetic and mournful— taken as a whole though, the record crawls across its 42-minute runtime, leaving the thrilling escapades of ‘A/B’ far behind. It’s an unfortunately inconsistent record, and almost certainly the band’s least intrepid yet: simply put, rock fans can probably find stronger records to listen to than this in 2025.