gran turismo

the cardigans

island/mercury, 1998

Mood—Smooth, rough, and bitterly inviting.

Sample: "Erase-Rewind"

Thoughts— Nothing annoys me more than when someone criticizes a band for trying something different. I wish more artists took more risks! I remember when U2 released Zooropa, and then later Pop, people were disappointed. "That's not the U2 we've come to know!" they exclaimed.

Well, those are two of my favorite U2 albums. I imagine that playing the same sort of songs all the time would really make you want to break out of the mold every now and then.

I remember hearing the same rumblings when The Cardigans released Gran Turismo, a significant departure from their bubbly take on standard pop/rock. GT feels more electronic, more keyboard heavy. While the melodies are recognizeable (along with Nina Persson's voice), the tone of the lyrics is colder and harsher. It's a complete departure from their previous four albums.

It's also fantastic, and as far as I'm concerned, it's their best album. The fluff on their other records gets old fast, but every track on this one is a keeper. The first four tracks are maybe the best "first four tracks" on any album with the exclusion of Daft Punk's Discovery. The middle of the album slows down a bit, but picks right back up with the single, "My Favorite Game".

My favorite song on the album is almost just a piece of a song, called "Do You Believe". It is loud, nihilistic and to the point. In fact there's only two stanzas amidst the distrorted instrumentation and overpowering percussion.

The Cardigans' follow-up album took them in another new direction, one that wasn't as in line with my tastes as Gran Turismo. That's fine, though... they're doing exactly what they want.

Recommended? Absolutely.

Link—cardigans.com

Tracklist
1. Paralyzed
2. Erase-Rewind
3. Explode
4. Starter
5. Hanging Around
6. Higher
7. Marvel Hill
8. My Favourite Game
9. Do You Believe
10. Junk of the Hearts
11. Nil