Sweden has had many favourable exports. ABBA, Volvo, Bjorn Borg, Ulrika, Sven Goran Eriksson and in the mid nineties, The Cardigans were international mega-stars. First emerging in 1992, The Cardigans sounded like a kitsch 50's Scandinavian version of the famous five - with Bjorn, Sven, and Agnetha replacing George, Harry and Fred (or whatever they were called). They dabbled with the odd metal influence, but broke with a track they actually hated. Lovefool came off the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack, and it was to spawn this wave of success. They rode that wave convincingly as it began to crest on 1998's Gran Tourismo; inspired by the game of the same name, it was their most accessible album - laden with simplistic riffs, a sleek look, polished, arty videos and Nina cultivating the sexy frontwoman image to full effect.
With fame and success comes a price; at the end of touring GT, bassist Magnus Sveniggson suffered a breakdown, and Nina took the opportunity of a hiatus to
So to Super Extra Gravity. Reprising longtime producer Tore Johannsson (who was fired from the LGBD sessions), they aimed to flesh out the songs, to succeed where LGBD had failed. If LGBD was a dainty child, SEG would be a teenager that listened to the Pixies. And from their mission statement, they appear to have succeeded. Where LGBD had all the intricacy of a James Taylor record, SEG boasts frivolity and disjointed freedom. First thing noticed is the drums and bass boom through quite deeply giving the album Super Extra Gravitas if you will. From opening track Losing a Friend there is this lo-fi demo feel but retains the musicality and melody. The sweet serenity of Persson’s voice and light melody is unreservedly disrupted by this din of drum, particularly the booming bass. As the booming bass builds, so does Persson’s desire to be heard, and she sounds more pained and wails Godspell is one best Cardigans tracks I’ve heard. It’s easily the highlight, and the album proceeds to go on a four-track streak with fine wine into the powerfully rich Don’t Blame Your Daughter, Little Black Cloud has an uplifting melodic feel whilst being battered to death by the drums and bass.
In The Round is laden with infectious hooks, not to mention handclaps. Holy Love is teetering on the brink of two camps fighting, the melodic and cannoning rhythm sections battling for supremacy. Good Morning Joan appears to go to the rhyming dictionary for toddlers, but the lyrics suit the rhythm, and is pretty uplifting. It does veer slightly into the dreary now and again. Drip Drop Teardrop is certainly a grower, and Overload is a sweet country ballad that drags if you’re not in the sort of loathsome, miserable, depressed, disconsolate mood to appreciate it. For the most part, all the songs have their own growth and intensify, particularly the last track on the main part of the album.
And Then You Kissed Me (part 2) is similar to it’s counterpart on the preceding album but begins more downbeat, and builds into this colossal noise that almost engulfs Persson’s boisterous vocal. It’s this sense of crescendo to a peak of ultimate pain, like the classic melancholy balladry used to. In style, Super Extra Gravity has many similarities with Elbow’s new album in it’s synchopation, this sonic boom of the bass and drum, and use of different styles of melodies. Considering the reverence for the lads from Bury in many circles, it is hard to fathom why this has been classed by some reviewers as bland. Much has been said about an apparent swing to mediocrity. This is far from mediocre. Compared to the supposedly bombastic, but ultimately drudging Foo Fighters “In your honour” record, this has a child-like energy inside wisened thirty-somethings.
It even pays to buy a copy that has bonus tracks. Give Me Your Eyes makes up for some of the somber sections of the album, through it’s joyous freedom. I don’t think it’s the lost classic that Long Gone Before Daylight album was, but it’s achieved its aim, and done it in fine style.
Craig Aston.
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