A Camp: Colonia
Nina Persson's side-project release their second album
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Friday, 30, Jan 2009 11:15
Reveal Records, out February 2nd.
In a nutshell...
Second outing for Cardigans side-project
What's it all about?
Colonia is the latest album to be released by singer Nina Persson under the alias A Camp. The 12-track LP is her second outing using the name and she has shared production duties on the record with her husband Nathan Larson and Niclas Frisk, the founder of Swedish group Atomic Swing.
The lead single from the album, Stronger than Jesus, was released as a digital download earlier this month.
Who's it by
Best known as the lead singer of the Cardigans, Persson's first A Camp album saw her step out as a solo artist. However, in recent interviews the singer has claimed she did not enjoy the experience of being out of a band and subsequently roped a selection of special guests in for this one.
As well as her husband and Frisk, musicians including ex-Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, songwriter Nicolai Dunger and Joan 'As Policewoman' Wasser have contributed. Sparklehorse frontman Mark Linkous, the producer of A Camp's first album, also returns for some slide guitar action.
As an example...
"Who told you love is the Alpha and Omega?/And that your heart will lead you to the only one?/It's a curse, it's the hammer that will break you/It's a poison hidden in a bon bon." - Stronger Than Jesus
"Hear how their hearts are pounding/Your rise - nothing but astounding/We're all witnessing the crowning/Of your useless, ruthless head." - The Crowning
"Golden teeth and silver medals/Beauty marks and scars/That is what we've got/Raindrops in a reservoir/And minutes in a jar/That is what we've got." - Golden Teeth and Silver Medals
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Rather like the first A Camp album, Colonia is likely to be much-loved by critics and Cardigans enthusiasts but not reach the attention of a wider audience.
However, it would be hard to bet against it being in the run for some Swedish Grammis in the future considering its major Scandinavian presence. In addition, Persson and co performed Stronger than Jesus at this year's event.
What the others say
"Boasting a slew of special guests, the lush 60s pop arrangements are scuppered by some overly introspective lyrics." - Q
"Listening to the album as a whole, it's satisfyingly compact, a neatly produced record with stand-out tracks and growers." - musicOMH
So is it any good?
Well, it gets off to a hell of a start. Opener The Crowning builds from off-key piano into a rather glorious waltz, as Persson paints a brilliant picture of "partying like its 1699", complete with a feast of swine and a bevy of fair maidens.
This may sound odd, but the brilliant pay-off comes with each chorus, as she reveals we are witnessing the coronation of some horrible tyrant with a "useless ruthless head". A number of the tunes on the album attempt to follow this trend of matching pretty music to mildly twisted words, but not many pull it off with as much gusto as this one.
Another that does however is Stronger than Jesus, which is less decadent than the first song and instead begins with a simple acoustic strum. Its tale of the dangers of love may not be a new one in the world of popular music, but the tune's horn-filled backing and Persson's world-weary vocal make it an early contender for the best track of the year.
No stranger to duets after her work with the Manic Street Preachers, Persson seems to relish the chance to spar with Nikolai Dunger on Golden Teeth and Silver Medals. Again, while the verses hint at darker themes about the meaning of life, they give way to an undeniably beautiful chorus which suits both voices perfectly.
While the album starts with a bang, it also ends rather arrestingly. The Weed Got Here First is a sluggishly-paced ballad but Persson's equally horizontal vocal is a joy to listen to, with her own wails matched by viola as the song draws to a close. Like the other highlights, the music proves to match beguilingly with the singer's performance to draw the listener in.
However, efforts to create the same style fail to work quite so well in other places, as the slick production occasionally leads some of the songs dangerously close to MOR territory. Bear on the Beach particularly suffers from this, along with Chinatown and My America. However, Here Are Many Wild Animals is saved from any criticism primarily for its brilliant handclaps.
All in all, the album is a good listen, with Persson particularly on top form in the vocal department. However, the not-so-impressive moments tend to be truly forgettable, which means, in these recessionary times folks, parting with too much cash for the album is not good value.
Great first single though.
6/10
Rob Dixon