Friday, December 11, 2020

Day 0832 - First Band on the Moon

Cardigans "First Band on the Moon" (1996)


This is a deceptive wee album (and band).   On the face of it, it sounds like an upbeat mix of disco, funk and pop, like a more naive take on Chic.   On closer inspection there is a lot more going on, with the perky music often acting as background to rather depressing lyrics.  On hit single "Lovefool", the catchy danceable track features the rather bleak line "I don't care if you really care as long as you don't go".   I've always quite enjoyed that sort of juxtaposition; a sad message presented in a bright and shiny wrapper.

A couple of the band members Peter Svensson and Magnus Sveningsson, had previously been in metal bands, and there are a couple of riffs here that, with a distortion pedal added, would rock quite heavily.   The band cover Black Sabbath's "Iron Man", and their own song "Heartbreaker" features the main riff from the song "Black Sabbath" from the album "Black Sabbath" by the band.... er well I forget their name.   It starts with the menacing riff but quickly switches into doe-eyed 60s-esque baroque pop before moving back to fade out in Black Sabby sludginess.

This band is definitely much more than just a one-trick pony and this album is more than that one song from a Leo DiCaprio film.

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