The Cardigans
Gran Turismo

Nina Persson, Peter Svensson, Magnus Sveningsson, Bengt Lagerberg, Lasse Johansson: here are the "The Cardigans", Swedish hit-making band until the last decade, now almost forgotten, ruined by their own hands and their incorrigible desire to "go overboard", renew themselves; because they had proven to have all the right cards -and decent qualities- to continue going strong, to mean something, to release great works, but that didn't happen, either due to constant style changes or commercial reasons; after 3 mediocre albums full of catchy yet anonymous tunes, carefree and bubbly riffs, after various sound changes (still ongoing), after rare notable episodes in their journey, here comes "Gran Turismo": 1998, the turning point, the completion of the circle, the tailor-made musical outfit after many more or less failed facelifts; with this work, they finally acquire the flavor of a serious and sufficiently mature band, it is a complete and well-done album, with few of the usual skip-easy songs that were perhaps too present on previous albums.

The production they offer is an appreciable blend of pop-rock and electronic, melancholic atmospheres, synthesized, chilly, sometimes relaxing (the comparison with the cold country of origin comes immediately to mind), a musical identity that had been -only- slightly anticipated with some previous tracks (such as the super hit "Lovefool"), however, as mentioned, the previous albums traveled with the handbrake on, sometimes very garish, almost irritating in their exaggerated easy-listening, clear not that they produced absolute trash, but generally records for bored housewives, background music, nothing particularly serious. Well, "Gran Turismo" is quite the opposite, never before have critics and fans agreed, "Gran Turismo" was and remains today their best (and perhaps only?) work truly worth noting.

From the opening track "Paralyzed", the drastic change of direction is immediately noticeable, leaving behind playful vocals, sunny and almost childish arrangements, bringing episodes that are decidedly more demanding, massive doses of electronics, dark and surreal atmospheres, a bit of sophistication that never hurts, and last but not least, a Persson who from a sweet, syrupy Swedish girl takes on a totally new vocal approach, mischievous, enchanting, lazy. All largely present on "Paralyzed", and how present: among the most valid pieces, "Paralyzed" presents itself dark, deliciously perverse, musically sick and full of distortions, at times reminiscent of "Queer" by Garbage.

On the same wavelength, the single "Erase & Rewind" and the slow "Explode": the first is the festival of synthesized, trip-hop beats and Depeche Mode-like pads along with a refined motif and a very catchy refrain that will make it one of the strongest smash-hits of the last millennium. The second is a soothing and delicate ballad, Nina delivers a good performance on the mic, although not particularly vocally gifted, her pretty tone and her new way of being now sexy, now bad, enhance a piece among the best in their discography. With "Starter" and the catchy "Hanging Around", they steer towards a more easy-going style, although the dark and electronic vibe that pervades the entire album is equally (albeit in lesser doses) present, the connotation more closely resembles that of the early albums, with lively strumming and easily singable tunes.

Refinement and elegance focus on the enchanting "Higher", a slow beat with noteworthy choirs and accompaniments where the cold arrangements of the first tracks reappear, and on "Marvel Hill", the latter an authentic gem, film-music sax, aggressive beat in the foreground, haunting accompaniments, and a remarkable chorus form the best point of the platter.

Following is the major single "My Favourite Game", a massive hit 10 years ago (also included in the video game Gran Turismo 2) that was talked about more for the pointless criticisms/censorship of the video (Nina sings and drives against traffic with a rock on the accelerator, ultimately crashing into a truck) rather than for the quality of the song itself, a decent pop-rock very radio-friendly that slightly deviates from the atmospheres heard so far. "Do You Believe" leans on a compelling electric guitar riff that blends excellently with the incisive electro beat, flows easily, but gives the impression of a somewhat anonymous piece overall.

It closes with "Junk Of The Earth", a sweet ballad with slightly vintage tones, and the almost spacey lounge-ambient outro "Nil", 2 minutes focused on an ethereal and alienating melody.

Following "Gran Turismo" are anonymous works completely off course with what was heard here, from entirely acoustic albums to predictable pop tunes worthy of the worst Katy Perry. Clearly, to this, you should add some rare (but excellent) flashes of light between one single and another, but the continuity and compactness of "Gran Turismo" never repeated themselves.

Nina & co. deserve the due compliments for this good album, but it's equally true that they should be scolded for mismanaging their once-promising career now in decline, in the unlikely hope that this "Gran Turismo" ten years later doesn't remain the only isolated episode, one cannot rate it below 4, considering that other albums are worth 2. I can only recommend "Gran Turismo" to those eager to listen to an album enjoyable and never banal.