The Cardigans
Life

THE REVIEW

After an adolescent phase dedicated to heavy metal music, guitarist and songwriter Peter Svensson and bassist Magnus Sveningsson, inspired by English pop, decide to give a new direction to their career and enlist keyboardist Lasse Johansson, drummer Bengt Lagenberg, and the shy singer Nina Persson (who attends the audition requesting to sing alone with the band members outside the room listening) to create the Cardigans.

Their debut album "Emmerdale" from 1994 opens doors the following year to the great (global) success of "Life", with a sly, elegant, and poppish nature. Soft atmospheres accompany elegant keyboards and catchy melodies. Light, friendly, at times it breaks away from pop and becomes funky, weaving into 60s sounds, reminiscent of Beach Boys-like instrumentation, but it is a complete and well-structured sound, and the singer's voice is truly soothing.

A journey into the new Swedish pop, where they became a symbol in the second half of the nineties, confirming and evolving with darker (and personal) roots in the next album "Gran Turismo," which is much more rockish-dark and aggressive. In "Life", whose glossy cover showcases the lovely singer, they play and joke. It has a joyful, summery, fun, and sparkling sound. Inevitable, amidst the chimes of the Hammond keyboards and funky guitar strums, the sinuous flutter, not perceiving past and melancholic sounds. Pleasant and unique.

"Carnival", the single that opens the album, sold a lot even in Japan. The Hammond keyboard, the tinkling percussion, and poppish arrangement are sounds rarely used in the 90s. Very noteworthy is also "Daddy's Car" (track 3), whose clean and sincere strums blend well with the playful theme of the piece. Brilliant "Sick and Tired", whose cheerful and lighthearted structure moves to very chewable pop-rock. The album maintains good standards in the tracks "Tomorrow" and "Rise and Shine", maintaining the sound and mood encountered so far, before opening to the slow "Beautiful One". Curious and noir "Traveling with Charley". Sweet and romantic "Celia Inside" is perhaps the most soothing and melancholic track of the album, almost a lullaby.

In short, truly talented. A highly enjoyable album, where the group searches for a pop sound with funky and pop-rock nuances, rediscovering 60s and 70s sounds, conveying a clean, fresh, and sober image of a very accessible pop-rock. For the band, this will remain a unique album for style, mood, and recognizability.