The Cardigans - Long Gone Before Daylight

Those of you who loved “Love Fool,” this is not your kind of Cardigans album. In fact, if you are a huge fan any of the songs that became big or moderate hits for the Swedish stars in the States, Long Gone Before Daylight might just be one you should skip. However, if you like poignant, beautifully artistic nouveau-folk rock, you’re in luck because The Cardigans have delivered just that. Aside from the initial confusion you might feel when you first pop in this latest offering, I think you will find that Long Gone… is an excellent mood album. If you are feeling slightly melancholy, maybe riding on the Metro alone in the rain, or just need something to work or drop off to sleep to, you would be hard pressed to find a better record out today – at least one that is still interesting and not just cheesy. Most of the tracks revolve around the central theme of love and love lost in one form or another. The opening track, “Communication,” contains the brilliant line: “And I hold the record for being patient/With your kind of hesitation.” Some of the more up-tempo songs are “For What It’s Worth,” “Live And Learn,” and “For the Boys,” but they still maintain the reflective lyrics and the almost wistful music that is so pronounced on the slower songs. No one can deny that Nina Persson has one of the sweetest, lilting voices in music, and anything she touches can easily turn to gold just on the strength of her vocals. She is a “Swedish Elf,” as I recently overheard at one of their shows, and can be as enchanting as any mythical creature. But to go on and on about Nina is to ignore the equally strong talents of the musicians with whom she is fortunate enough to work. In particular, guitarist Peter Svensson certainly knows how to write a melody, and his deliciously simple yet lush music is the perfect marriage to Nina’s poetry. While many fans of The Cardigans might initially be somewhat baffled by Long Gone Before Daylight, I encourage you to give the record a chance to breathe. I think you’ll find it to be a folksy, introspective journey into the best of that beast called modern rock. [www.cardigans.com]