Customer Reviews

Gran Turismo

5 star:		(94)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Gran Turismo is sheer brilliance. Very few bands can completely change their sound within 5 years, and sound great all the way through.

This album is an amalgamation of all the deep, dark undercurrents running through the Cardigan's previous albums, sliding into it's greatest glumness during the morose, depressing "Marvel Hill" in which Nina Persson covertly explains that nothing in life is worth trying for because there will always be something better to achieve.

I won't lie to you; pretty much all of the lyrics on this album are just plain miserable in feel. But that doesn't limit the Cardigans to some of the routine "angry yelling" or "chord mashing" cliches of other alternative rock bands today.

Instead of screaming, they wail, and every melodic chord, every trippy drum-beat conveys a different emotion. The music works best in a dark room, with headphones on your ears, playing the music throughout your skull...I'm telling you, it's an amazing experience.

I was impressed by this definitive work of The Cardigans. It is most certainly worth your time and money.

Nina has me feeling as if we were all growing up with her. In the beginning with "Life" we heard her in a youthful teenage phase of infatuation and carefree lifestyle. In "Gran Tourismo" Nina and her band make us feel the angst of the late 20s and early 30s. Her dissolusion with socitey and it's norms come clear. Now with "Long Gone Before Daylight" we feel as if she's now post-cynical in middle age, come to accept the stuff she can't change, with regrets and old memories. We can hear her baggage and lost loves in her voice. If you're like me you'll never forget her voice.

This was quite a shock for a Cardigans fan who starting listening to them when First Band on the Moon came out. After listening to Life and FBOTM over and over again, I was not expecting the Cards to go electronic. But I have to say, I'm glad they did. They more or less abandoned their original 60's sound; the only song on here that sounds like their earlier work is "Junk of the Hearts". The Cardigans have the same uncanny grace that bands like Saint Etienne have, able to switch sounds completely between albums and yet still sound like they've been playing this way forever.

"Paralyzed" is a great opening tune, I love the lyrics. "Explode", "Erase/Rewind", and "Hanging Around" are also oustanding tracks. My favorites would have to be "My Favourite Game" and "Do You Believe".

I haven't heard Long Gone Before Daylight very often and I have yet to hear their new one (who knows when it will be released in the US), but I can safely say that I will listen to whatever music they want to put out. Because chances are, it will be fantastic!

When I first got this, i was like "What the heck? " and was dissappointed, but i had to give it a second and third listen. Then its like it just grew on me, dark, morbid, depressing introspective music. Industrial Strength Viking Inflected European Blues.

If you're expecting the same bubble-gum sound that made the previous Cardigans albums so wonderful, you'll be disappointed with 'Gran Turismo' - at first. Give this album a chance and you'll be spellbound by these deliciously dark dance tunes. The Cardigans once again deliver with humm-able, stuck-in-your-head melodies, but with a completely new edge. 'Gran Turismo' proves that as this talented band continues to stretch their boundaries and grow artistically, the outcome will consistently be wonderful. This album *always* makes me want to get up and dance! It is such a favorite, my husband and I regularly fight over who gets to take it to work!

Let there be no mistake, this is a fantastic CD. The tracks have an immediate accessability but will also linger with you long after you first hear them. 5 star performance for me. "Junk of the Heart" will have you grabbing the controls of your walkman to hear it again and try and recapture the feelings. Truly astounding, well balanced and just brilliant!

I love this CD, EVERY song on here is absolute brilliance. I love every song, the lyrics are exceptional, it's a masterpiece!

With this new album,The Cardigans have stepped up their musicianship and sound variety.I have enjoyed seeing how they continue to grow and challege the boundaries of their music.On Grand Turismo,they abandon their previous and beautiful smooth pop offerings (songs like "Rise and Shine","Carnival",and "Lovefool") and churn out some very emotional and gritty songs.I prefer to call this type of sound 'Industrial Rock'(c).Nina's songwriting has also improved-- immediately noticed on the album's opening track,"Paralyzed",in which Nina later sings,"This is where your sanity gives in and the love begins".Other lyrics like,"This is the age when my past should be gone but it's just stronger than the aims I have" (from "Starter"),will get stuck in your head."Explode" is simply a haunting and beautiful song.It is so hypnotic and melodic."Hanging Around" at first sounds like the band looped a level sound from Nintendo's 8-bit Ninja Gaiden series,before it swings into a flourishing Industrial Rock development.This song just pounds constantly,and the distorted guitars reflect Nina's pessimistic conclusions.On "Higher",the band incorporates some beautiful chorus-like background vocals.This song also sounds like an enchanting time clock,ticking away and pulling the listener into this atmospheric and peaceful abyss.I love the 'wah..wah..wah' guitar riff on "My Favorite Game".The band also puts a strange organ sound into the chorus part of this song,giving it a cool processional vibe.Speaking of riffs,"Do You Believe" has an awesome pulsating and upward electronic-like guitar riff.This song also serves as the group's best use of their new Industrial Rock experimentation.Nina sings,"Do you really think that love is gonna save the world?....well I don't think so",emotionally draining the listener with her voice.This song has a great accoustic guitar being utilized in the background,adding to the polyrhtmic texture."Junk Of The Hearts" comes at a perfect time,because up until this point,the band has really grinded and successfully wallowed in the simplified trip-hop and full Industrial Rock realm.With this song,The Cardigans somewhat calmn things down.I like the country-like sliding guitar and subtle rythms on this tune.Nina's voice is so sultry and the band chemistry couldn't get any better on Gran Turismo.

I can't tell you how many times I have listened to this album,but I do know that this is one of the few albums that really really affects the listener.It can be emotionally draining at times,or very instrumental in commanding some type of action on the part of the listener.If you are mad about a breakup,then this album may just infuriate you more,or could also be some therapy!If you are in a mellow mood,this album could simply lull you to sleep.It has often done this to me.Speaking of direct emotional appeal,this album just makes me want to rock sometimes and groove,and other times I just want to sit back and contemplate things.I will say that those who are Cardigan fans and those who have not heard this album yet,will definately be beautifully disturbed.I would recommend it to new-comers and supportive Cardigan followers.

"this is where your sanity gives in..."; The Cardigans on the masterful 'Gran Turismo' concocted a collection of eleven tracks that could best be described as an album of sonic lullabys. Singer Nina Persson's sweet yet melancholy voice provides the perfect narration for the mixture of hope, depression, fear, slef-reliance and love that is this album. Never before had the Cardigans attempted to put so much raw emotion and meaning into a release before; it is almost as if they woke up and realized just what kind of music they were supposed to be playing all along. Songs such as "Paralyzed", "Erase/Rewind", "Higher" and the album's best cut, "My Favourite Game" prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that this group is nowhere near the status of Top 40 one-hit wonders. Being a listener who couldn't stand this band before, I gave the album a listen; to say that I was impressed by the songwriting and performances shown on it would be a vast understatement. This album is good anytime: Driving fast down the highway, partying with friends, intimacy with a loved one, or as music to fall asleep listening to, 'Gran Turismo' marks the creative apex in a band's history that otherwise wouldn't have gotten the critical praise and respect it now so obviously deserves.

The Cardigans have changed from the innocent, thought-provoking image they were so popular for. Instead, they have altered themselves into a grand alternative band. This collection of songs known as "Gran Turismo" is an intense album, ranging from songs that are calm and serene to power-driven melodies that will get one up dancing. This album would be great for a long road trip or the background during a walk along the ocean at night. Nina Persson wrote most all of the melodies. Her jagged, yet sweet voice adds the final touch to her incandescant lyrics. Every song is meaningful, but the ones that stand out are "My Favourite Game," "Erase/Rewind," "Junk of the Hearts," and "Explode."