Review by Paul Beevers
A timely release for A Cardigans ‘Best Of’, 15 years and six albums into their career. This chronological compilation features the majority of the singles plus selected album tracks, and as a document of their progress it works beautifully.
Early singles ‘Rise And Shine’ and ‘Carnival’ still sound utterly fresh and invigorating. By ‘Erase And Rewind’ the band are exploring more expansive, darker territory without losing their knack for a great tune.
A decade in and ‘For What It’s Worth’, ‘You’re The Storm’ and ‘Live & Learn’ are more mature and reflective, both lyrically and melodically. ‘Communication’ from the same era sounds like The Carpenters at their most heart-rending and sublime. So whilst they could have been aiming for adult-oriented radio either side of the Atlantic, these songs (taken from 2003’s ‘Long Gone Before Midnight’) also find the band hitting their most accomplished streak yet.
The atheist call to arms of ‘Godspell’ would have been a great way to finish off a near perfect compilation. A shame then that they had to tack ‘Burning Down The House’ (their ill-advised collaboration with Tom Jones) on the end as a bonus track. At best it’s no more than a dollop of limp-wristed funk. Mr Jones renders it unlistenable after precisely 9 seconds.
However, over the remaining twenty tracks Nina Persson’s endearing vocals, an abundance of gorgeous pop hooks and subtle changes in direction make this a compilation to treasure.
