The Cardigans Album: “Long Gone Before Daylight”

The Cardigans hit the big time a few years back with the song 'Lovefool' from Baz Luhrmann's 'Romeo And Juliet' film.

This was after they had released one album 'Life' which was very kitsch and sixties in sound.Their second album 'First Band On The Moon' was also very kitsch and retro but it showed a dark side to the Cardigans on songs such as 'Been It' and a bizarre reinterpretation of Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man'.

Next album 'Gran Turismo' yielded the hits 'Erase/Rewind' and 'Favourite Game' both modern pop masterpieces but overall the album was disappointing as it tried too hard to be the opposite of the first two albums.Too many synthesisers -not enough soul.

Nina Persson (the stunning lead singer with the lovely voice) took a long break after Gran Turismo to explore other forms of music and released the album 'A Camp' under the same moniker.Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse was heavily involved and the album was very lo-fi/alt country with a very weird 'ghostly' quality to it.It was an excellent album as it really showcased the power of Nina Persson's voice on slower numbers that were now devoid of kitsch orchestration or synthesisers.

The Cardigans went into the studio to record their latest album and Peter Svennson was not happy with the results and shelved the whole album.He felt that the new album had been rushed.

Instead the band regrouped for a major rethink and the result was 'Long Gone Before Daylight'.It was the best decision that Svennson ever made.When the album was released it clearly showed a major maturity in the songwriting and also the songs did justice to Nina Persson's wonderful voice.

The album doesn't really have a bad track to speak of.I particularly love 'Then He Kissed Me' a wonderful statement about a modern relationship with it's metaphor of love as violence (whether real or imagined, I don't know).

This is an album for listening to on your own as all the songs are extremely powerful.Persson is now showing what a powerful lead vocalist that she is on all of these songs.

The album is a stunning revelation.

I first really noticed The Cardigans one day in my car. I found a channel playing a song, which I thought must be a new Sheryl Crow single. I was very surprised when the DJ announced that it was The Cardigans. I don't remember which song it was, but I knew I had to buy one of their CD's to check out a whole album. At the time the only Cardigan song I knew was "My Favorite Game", and I had thought they were a pure light-weight pop-act.

I chose to buy "Long Before Daylight", and I could not have made a better choice. Great songs, great playing, great productions, fine lyrics and a terrific versatile singer in Nina Persson. This band had really matured since "My Favorite Game". Anyone who likes Sheryl Crow will like this album too.

Opening with the ballad "Communication" the high standards are set right from the start. The up-beat "You're the Storm" is equally strong.

"A Good Horse" could have been the song I mistook for Sheryl Crow.

"The acoustic "And Then You Kissed Me" is simply beautiful - a song that would also suit Lisa Ekdahl.

The airy "Couldn't Care Less" is my least favourite on the album - maybe it needs some more time.

"Please Sister" is another highlight - a little like Roxette; when they're at their best!

The hit-single "For What it's Worth" is simply a catchy pop-tune; and a great one of its kind.

The hymnal quiet ballad "Lead Me into the Night" is another beautiful melody.

The melodic pop-rocker "Live and Learn" is just irresistible. One of my present favourites!

The final two tracks are both lyrically very moving. "Feathers and Downs" is a magnificent ballad. The final track "03.45: No Sleep" is a very logical choice for closing the album; describing strong feelings that may come to you on a sleepless night. Mellow and still very catchy - a highlight!

This album must be "The Album of the Year 2003"!! At least I'll give it my vote!

If The Cardigans were a mainstream group, this CD would probably have won album and artist of the year. The stripped down pieces toward the end of the CD is as good as anything you will ever hear in this kind of catagory of music. Songs like No Sleep, Couldnt Care Less, If There Is A Chance, as well as: Communication, Lead Me Into The Light, etc. The more uptempo songs are ALSO quite good! These songs are beautifully crafted and written, the lyrics are thought proving and mature, the arrangements are very impressive, the production superb. The bands back up work is tremendous, even the fine details (guitar pieces, drums, etc all work together to create a real mood here). The songs reach out and grab you and dont let go. These are some of the best pop songs I have heard in a very long time. What a long way to come from the Life CD, which to me was like Oblivious Happy Pop Music. When they made the BIG TURN on Grand Turismo, I started to hear a potential I didnt really expect. But rarely does a band make a transition like this on Long Gone Before Daylight. Everyone involved in this project deserves a great amount of credit! A++++

I am familiar with the Cardigans discography and I can agree that if you expect the sexy crooning from Nina Persson and the tight poppy songs we heard on First Band on the Moon and Life you will be disappointed. This is a very different album from their past works. It is down beat and sad, slow and purposeful. It gets slick at times, and suffers from an absence of a real upbeat song.

This might be enough to drag down other albums, but one thing this album has is heart. The Cardigans take a sadder and more serious tone on Daylight. Persson's voice and lyrics are achingly beautiful and she sings with such real pain and emotion on "For What it's Worth" and "And Then You Kissed Me." It's as though we can actually feel her pain and frustration. This dark frustration is especially clear on Please Sister when she sings "So if it's true that love will never die/then why do the lovers work so hard to stay alive." At times this album can be heartbreakingly sad; there is a heaviness and pessimism that surrounds the album. I can only wonder what events sparked the Cardigans to make an album like this with no clear single or pop accessible track.

The songs are not as strong or clever as they have been in the past, and it is certainly not a fun album, but there is passion and depth that is not found in the rest of the Cardigans discography. Listen to this with a good pair of headphones on. If you are open to it, it will blow you away.

The Cardigans have grown into a band un-recognizable from their first incarnation, and though I miss the the sugary goodness of their retro past, if they are going to put out music, it may as well be the stylings of "Long gone...". The stand-out tracks for me are "Communication", "You're the storm", "For what its worth", and the addictive "Live and learn". The poppy up-beat music of my favorite LIFE wouldnt fit anywhere on this album, the melancholy and sadness is just too lonely to have room for anything else...but the Cardigans are still a favorite of mine simply for the skillful music they put out, and this album is no exception.