Cherryade Records

Skulerud is a small place in the area called Höland (Hayland) in Norway. Once the ending station of the 56 km long narrow gauge railway line Urskog-Hölandsbanen, this scenery, where the scent of new mown hay rests over open fields during summer season, is also where 3 of The Loch Ness Mouse’s members grew up, before leaving for the big city: The two brothers, songwriters Jörn and Ole Johannes Åleskjær, who started the band in 1992, and also keyboard player Helga Trömborg.In their 10th year of existence The Loch Ness Mouse released an album that all in a sudden gave the band a much wider audience. This album, entitled Key West, was nominated to the Alarm Prize in the category Pop Album Of The Year in Norway in 2002.The Key West-album followed up the band’s debut album Flair for Darjeeling (1999) and 3 EPs/singles, and showed a band that had set for a wider sound as well, both on stage and in their studio works. Key West is a west coast harmony rock album that musically resembles the Beach Boys’ Friends-album, Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac and Todd Rundgren.Thematically Key West deals a lot with the fact that the brothers could have been boat-builders of the 4th generation, as the family on the father’s side owns and runs the boat-building factory Övre Tune Båtbyggeri. This 4th generation, however, is bringing forth, not boats, but the songs that you can hear on this album.

Truly a stunning slice of pure pop bliss..a diverse, intricate, complex album. All Music Guide (4½ stars out of 5)

An album of profound capacity… A compressed, complex and beautiful album that only grows with time and effort. Comes With A Smile

If this band isn't a hipster favorite in a few years, there is something significantly wrong. The sublime beauty of this simplistic, good natured pop record is the essence of all that is right in music. In Music We Trust

One of the best pop records I’ve heard, at least when it comes to a Norwegian band…The songs are filled with the spiritual love that Brian Wilson has so often talked about and sought after. Pstereo

Key West, the band’second album, associates so strongly to sunny days by the sea that you almost have to hold your hand up before your eyes while listening, Bergens Tidende