Disco de The Cardigans: “Long Gone Before Daylight [Europe]”

With 'Long Gone Before Daylight" Sweden's Cardigans have finally made a mature, intimate, and dark album. It's hard to say why they chose the pedestrian country-rock backing that they did, but you know what? It works and it works well. Perhaps by stripping their songs of the usual quirky keyboards and extraneous instrumentation they finally found their biggest stregnth- the lyrics and vocals of front woman Nina Persson. On these songs she doesn't sing with the 'I've seen it all' weariness typical of most country tunes. She sings it with a mixture of tenderness, knowingness, and innocence- even lyrics with a darker undertow, such as the "blue, blue black and blue" bridge of "Then You Kissed Me", easily the album's best track. Elsewhere, she tells her doomed lover "c'mon let's drown" in the quiet, haunting "Feathers and Down."

Thus far, many critics have slammed this for being too produced or too bland. Sure, this album is more produced than their previous works, but that certainly does not take away from the stregnth of the songs or the arrangements. And yes, this record may sound derivitave upon first listen, but what the Cardigans have done is made confessional pop songs that actually require your attention. Their sound was always thus- they have never been (and probably never will be) sonic innovators. As 'Long Gone Before Daylight' proves, they have a gift for writing little songs that you'll surely remember long after the fact.

It seems that the Cardigans have great things on the horizon- and what a lonely one it is.

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.