Super Extra Gravity

The Cardigans gained the respect of listeners in the mid-’90s, not for the impossibly sunny triteness of their lyrics, but for the wonderful songs and productions that seemed to emanate from Malmo, Sweden, and the minds of the group’s core trio: vocalist Nina Persson, songwriter Peter Svensson, and producer Tore Johansson. More than ten years after their debut, a few things had changed — the lyrics were no longer sunnily trite but cynically trite, and the songs and productions were no longer so wonderful. Super Extra Gravity matches their previous record, Long Gone Before Daylight, for its dour mood and the muddled flavor of the Cardigans’ performances. Persson’s lyrics are eccentric, Svensson’s songs are understated, and Johansson’s productions only occasionally allow a hint of brightness and color into the proceedings. – John Bush