Customer Reviews

Super Extra Gravity

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been a Cardigans fan since their 1995 album "Life". Every album this band puts out is quite different from the others; and Super Extra Gravity continues this tradition. It doesn't sound like any other Cardigans record.

If you're already a Cardigans fan I can explain Super Extra Gravity like this...

It rocks harder than Long Gone Before Daylight.

It doesn't rock as hard as Gran Turismo.

It's nowhere near as poppy as Emmerdale, Life, or First Band on the Moon.

If what I just wrote makes no sense to you...

If you're a new Cardigans fan I would recommend you buy their 1995 album "Life" first. If you like it - move onto "First Band on the Moon" and proceed chronologically; going back for 1994's "Emmerdale" last. In my opinion getting the Cardigans CDs in this order lets you truly experience the growth of this band. Very cool.

The Cardigans continue to develop as a band; and with each new record they take their fans in a completely new direction. That's one of their best qualities; and why Super Extra Gravity is an excellent record. In my opinion it's not their best; but it is very good.

Favorite tracks are "I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer" and "Godspell".

I've never written a review before for a cd, but felt compelled as the latest work from The Cardigans struck me as something great and I feared they would be spoken of badly or misinterpreted by someone, hindering another from experiencing this revolution in music. So in an attempt to rescue the underdog-let me bring this album into the light and assure you that you're making a wise choice in considering this cd.

I've been a Cardigans fan for nearly as long as they've been around, which is close to a decade. Their music seems to move with the general feeling of the musically inclined at that point and time, even so far as initiating the next wave of emotion. When I was younger and needed a different sound from everything so commercial that was being spoon fed to us, I was given Life, their second album. As I grew up, it seemed their music transitioned as well rather than recreating itself and becoming diluted. Life was such an innocently tainted album with a hush of warm anger that you would be long basking in it's light before you felt sly schemes already manifesting themselves in your mind and disrupted your organized view of love and friendship. For the Cardigans, their inspiration was found in hard rock, death metal groups and a desire to go against everything their small lives had led them to up until their converging, so I wasn't as surprised when they began inching toward the darkness with covers of black sabbath and anthems against love.

It had been years since Gran Turismo when I learned they'd released Long Gone Before Daylight. I was skeptical because I didn't find myself relating to them as much when Gran Turismo came out, and sensed that maybe as an artist, they we're more a tool for commercialism rather than the love of music. But trusting them, I bought the cd and soon it took the reigns of my emotions that I'd unsuccessfully controlled, and steered me into a direction that I almost wasn't sure that I was allowed to feel. Giving her failed love a physical manifestation (And then he kissed me) by solemly singing of how this emotion beat her and left her bruised evokes an understanding of how relationships, in their endings, are powerful enough to seemingly affect you in that manner. It was perfectly calm yet deeply upset, the antithesis of what's been playing and produced, and exactly what I needed to hear . It felt like emotions could be expressed by just listening to that album and that I understood what was being expressed.

So, much to my surprise, Super Extra Gravity was right around the corner to being released, because apparently LGBD was not released in the US until a year after it had come out in Europe.

Putting that cd in drew so much anticipation from me and I knew that their opening chords were the start of something great. The first track is a collection of chaos, timing, depth and intelligence that sets you up for the rest of the album. Godspeed, the next track, is one of my favorite songs. I've read that it's about the town they are from, which is engrossed in the christian religion. The song- a declaration of rebellion and opened eyes to their dogma. The following songs are amazing without trying to be and that's what I love about them. Each one breaking the mold of traditional song structure, allowing an obsessive love over a song to develop from something as obscure as the last chords strummed not once throughout the entire song, but used to seal the end of a track. They're not wrapped in the production so much that it begins to lose it's original spark, yet not so fearful of being understood that they short change themselves.

This album is angrier and louder than LGBD, and in a lot of ways, resembles the same process we take in getting over a relationship in that LGBD was a quiet, hurtful rage that spurned Super Extra Gravity into orbit as a way of healing. Super Extra Gravity was the perfect transition from LGBD and my faith in The Cardigans as true musicians has deepened even further. I would love one day to hear them go back to their breezy-afternoon-cocktail-lounge roots as a testimony that they're who they've always been, only showing the human quality of another emotion.

super extra gravity is the cardigans best work since gran turismo, which is just ridiculous. they've dropped the good (but pretty annoying) fluffy pop sound and have recorded an almost perfect rock and roll album. rock and roll albums are hard to come by nowadays. rock, yes, rock and roll, no. check out little black cloud, in the round, good morning joan (for a true schooling in song structure/writing), godspell, hell every song is just so good. i see people complaining about the obscenity of some of these songs. that's ridiculous. i'm sorry they offend your narrow view of what you find acceptable, but that's what good music does. offends. i have given this 4 stars because 5 stars are saved for truely perfect albums, but if there was a 4 3/4 stars, i would give it that.

Exit Per Sunding and re-enter Tore Johansson. Super Extra Gravity marks the return of The Cardigans in a massive way after somewhat of a let down with their last release Long Gone Before Daylight which was unbearably (and shockingly) country-tainted. Although not as heavily introspective and highly confessional, Super Extra Gravity more than makes up for the lack in lyrical-genius and maturity with the hard, polished and stylish sound that propelled them onto the world stage in 1996.

Super Extra Gravity is a neat package of 11 tracks (and 3 bonus tracks), bound by a very interesting album cover: singer Nina Persson looks particularly beautiful whilst pretending to be `dead' on the cover. Visual aesthetics aside, the album is extremely hard to classify: "Losing A Friend" sounds like a Beatles song that was never released, "Give Me Your Eyes" might as well have been sung by Debbie Harry and "Little Black Cloud" sounds almost identical to Smashing Pumpkin's "Tonight Tonight".

The Cardigans have never been an eager-to-please band. They have always been highly experimental, yet simple, and undeniably chimerical, switching from indie to country to ambient pop from album to album, and even within a single album, as they do so superbly here. The band retains some of the sleek electronica used on Gran Turismo but it is the Emmerdale-esque mastery in the quiet guitar solos by Peter Svensson that drive the band's unique sound. Some acutely experimental tracks are "Slow", with its low tone chords and Persson's rough yet sweet soulful voice and "The Round", a track stripped bare down to its minimal bass lines. There are also highly glossy single-worthy tracks in here such as "Holy Love" and "Godspell".

After this 6th studio album, one can only learn to never expect anything from the Swedish quintet because with every album, they have always managed to deliver nothing less than original. Super Extra Gravity goes from evoking raw emotion at certain points to creating addictive highs the next. And although it might not have the heavy electronica à la Ladytron or Goldfrapp nor the heavy guitars of Interpol, this album is mixes all these elements (and more) and comes up with a winning mix. This might just be The Cardie's best release to date.

The Cardigans are my favorite band, and considering the quantity of music I listen to, that's a heavy compliment. I got hooked when I happened hear their "My Favorite Game" in the intro to Gran Turismo. I'm one of the fans, however, that prefers their later albums to their earlier work. Up until Super Extra Gravity, my favorite album was Long Gone Before Daylight, and I also found myself listening to Gran Turismo a good deal. I also like First Band on the Moon and Life, but not only do I prefer their later style- I think they've become more inventive and expressive especially in their last 2-3 albums.

Either way, the lead singer, Nina Persson, has a truly unique, emotive voice and all of their albums have that listenable quality where one songs manages to sound different from the next.

I had high expectations for Super Extra Gravity, and they were met. People are right to say that every Cardigans album sounds different, but with Nina's voice as a constant, this variability is a strength. Super Extra Gravity is rougher and rockier than LGBD, but I like it just as much. I especially like "Don't Blame Your Daughter" and "I Need Some Fine Wine...And You Need To Be Nicer", and "And Then You Kissed Me II". The entire album, however, is fantastic, clever, and holds some nice surprises for Cardigans fans, especially.

For new listeners, I recommend starting at Gran Turismo- it's very accessible, and I dare say that if you don't like that album, you aren't going to like the Cardigans. Go back to their earlier albums only once you're addicted to Nina Persson's voice (shouldn't take long). It's also worthy to note that Nina Persson released a great solo album under the title "A Camp"- not to be missed.

The Cardigans have to be one of the greatest overlooked bands around. The musical arrangments are complex but subtle, giving the album an easy simple feel. However, if you really listen to the layers and depth of the music you will be blown away by how beautiful and rich it can be. Of course the vocals are once again sweet and passionate and complement the music. Nina's voice is wonderful, I can think of no other singer whose voice is as "nice on the ears" as hers. Their previous effort "Long gone before daylight" is also an exellent album. Every release by the Cardigans gives you a taste of something new, and each time it is something unexpected, and unexpectedly good. Support this truely wonderful band, you will love this album. the more I listen to it, the more I want to put it in my CD player. They should have gotten a grammy for "Long gone before daylight", or at least some serious recognition. I am shocked by how many people do not recognize the cardigans when I play them the CD. All they remember is the old "love Fool" song that dominated the airways and the "Romeo and Juliet" production. There is so much more to this band. Every one I have played this ablum for liked it and asked for a copy. I told them to show support for the band and buy it!! I want this group to continue putting albums out. Buy this album, you will not be sorry you did.

The Cardigans are incredibly creative, innovative, and completely fearless in making exactly the kind of album they want to make- a trait difficult to come by these days.

They are, in fact, so good that it's impossible to put into words how moving their music is, particularly with the release of Long Gone Before Daylight and Super Extra Gravity (each of which still give me shivers).

Everything about SEG is amazing- the music, the vocals, the lyrics, the power, the emotion, the rock and roll (!).

It kills me that The Cardigans have had to suffer the pop culture maiming they've received in America. People just don't know how much is out there by them, and that Lovefool is not the keystone of the kind of music they make. If you were ever interested in The Cardigans, I urge you to look into the band more deeply and check out what they have to offer.

Even though I love all the songs on SEG, I have to say that it took a bit more effort to fall into And Then You Kissed Me II and Losing A Friend, but now that I know the album, I have to say that it all dovetails wonderfully into three little song pockets.

The first four songs are banded together into something akin to a roller coaster ride. Losing A Friend starts slow, but climbs into a peak before Godspell "whiplashes you around and 'round" in the words of Nina.

Drip Drop Teardrop picks up at a lower velocity than Godspell, but leaves you feeling content and rounded-out with Overload.

The next little group gives you the perfect kind of musical high (and is my favorite segment), with Fine Wine (abridged title) being the perfect pick-up from Overload. It rocks, and to be quite honest, I think that after hearing that song, anyone would want to take commands from Nina Persson...

Enter the gorgeous downshift to Don't Blame Your Daughter (Diamonds), where Nina's voice takes on the sort of softness that one can only dream about hearing.

Ending on the gliding feeling of a warm crescendo, you're then swept into the rock-y ethereal heights with Little Black Cloud (her vibrato alone is worth the price of the album, as silly as that sounds).

The last little group of four gives you a nice comedown from LBC into In the Round, which some fans have actually denounced as not worth being on the album.

I think the song is worth its steady heartbeat because it is the perfect launch for Holy Love, which blasts off like a rocket and doesn't quit until you hit the end of Good Morning Joan- which is one of those songs that sounds completely effortless, but certainly does its share of the heavy lifting.

Then the quietly rolling And Then You Kissed Me II. The lyrics in this song are cruelly beautiful, and its small, compact, but potent phrases are bound to stick in your head.

You will not be disappointed to own this album, and if you are, then you aren't listening correctly.

The sound of the Cardigans changes after their album, Gran Turismo. The first three (Emmerdale, Life, FIrst Band on the Moon) are glorious candy pop with dark lyrical undertones. Gran Turismo is rougher around the edges and Long Gone Before Daylight is more country. Super Extra Gravity strikes me as a blend of GT and Long Gone -- musically more like GT while lyrically continuing some themes in Long Gone.

For me, the album's highlight is "I Need Some Fine Wine". Perhaps this is the Cardigans' finest song ever written -- there is no fat on this lean mean pop machine.

The Cardigans have been a favorite of mine for many years due to their tremendous ability to balance creativity and heart. Making music that is especially rewarding because it is sonically interesting and emotionally endearing at the same time. They've done this with a wide array of sounds and approaches. Listen to "Gran Tourismo" alongside "Emmerdale" and you'll see what I mean. I don't know what to expect from The Cardigans, but I can always trust I'll find something truly original and warm, right? Well, for me, that changed with "Long Gone Before Daylight." I listened to it over and over and could not enjoy it even when I tried to force myself to like it. It left me feeling like I bought a Sheryl Crow record. Not that that's a bad thing, but it doesn't appeal to me. That said, I think "Super Extra Gravity" plays like an improved revision of "Long Gone Before Daylight." Don't anticipate varied instrumentation, time signatures, unsual melodies, surprising sounds. This is a pretty straightforward mid tempo rock album. No surprises. They attempt to strip off the fun stuff and open a vein, but for my ears, their isn't enough to draw me in. Again, I've listened to this many, many times with the hope it will grow on me, but it's a C level record, in my opinion. The opening track, however, is well worth owning.

I first heard songs from Life when I lived in Japan in the mid-90's. It was so wierd to hear "Carnival" when the music that was popular back then was the end of Grunge and the beginning of the ska wave that lead into pop-punk and this other nonsense that it popular now. This was an album that was so light and airy and upbeat, and fun, with no pretension of being something that it was not. And yet it was super innovative, because nobody else was making music that sounded anything like this. I was of course instantly hooked.

Needeless to say, I am willing to give the Cardigans a chance every single time they release an album. Their albums represent an evolution away from what made them popular. "Gran Turismo" was a radical departure, and I dug that. "Long Gone Before Daylight" was really pretty bad, in my opinion. I felt catatonic listening to it. I was pretty disappointed. But, you know, one cannot stay away from something like the Cardigans, and when I heard they released a new record, I was all over it.

"Super Extra Gravity" (should have been the title of the last album) is a great rock and roll album. This record would have fit in with the sound of the mid-90's when they were making lounge music. It is reminicent of the best of the Breeders or Veruca Salt, though, of course, the musicians in the Cardigans are much more talented than those mid-90's bands.

The album is a rollercoaster ride, with a good ballance of more upbeat tunes, and slower, darker tunes. The guitar work is great, and the production is polished. But there are some suprises in the structures of the songs themselves. What one expects from a song like "Holy Love" is altered by the last chorus, as the Cardigans experiment with range and dissonance. It's not too far out (in a way that the Sonic Youth were far out) but it just enough to add a new dimension of interest to the song.

The draw for most to the Cardigans is the voice of the singer, Nina Persson. Long gone are the delicate tones of sticky sweetness that she is originally famous for. On this record she gains some gravel, and many times sings not beyond her range, but at the very edges of it. It underscores the rock element of the record to the nth degree.

All in all great production values, innovative stylings, and a relatively coherent set list makes this album a really great listen, very enjoyable for playing while you are engaged in some activity. Enjoy it with a friend. "Super Extra Gravity" is a very impressive record from one of my favorite bands.