Album Of The Day

Whole album of earnest twee crap built around worldwide megahit that seems out of place and is now sickening beyond the first chord

Didn’t really enjoy other than lovefool which I love. Feels like a one hit wonder to me.

Bit too poppy for my sensibilities, but they're reeling me in with the black sabbath influence on Heartbreaker. I'll listen to that again. Great drum sound. I like that this sounds like a live band rather than overproduced silliness, but the jams are getting a bit repetitive. Just got to Lovefool and now realise why this album is on the list and that i have indeed heard this band before. Weirdly, this song does sound like overproduced silliness compared to the rest of the album. An actual Iron man cover - wild. Overall, this was alright yeah, probably wouldn't put it on again, but i didn't dislike it.

Pleasant but largely indistinguishable and overly loungey. I found myself craving a bit more grit and vinegar in the music or lyrics to offset the very sweet, dainty vocals. The glimmers of heavier influence are tantalising but not quite enough to cut through the sugar.

Well, apart from Lovefool I didn’t know/remember anything else on this album. Nina’s Marilyn Monroe-esqe vocals suit the tracks I suppose which are pleasant enough to listen to but nothing catchy enough to need to hear again. Left me wondering if Black Sabbath had covered Lovefool whether I would have laughed as much as hearing this Iron Man version! Have to admit I did listen to that song once again just to make sure I hadn’t been dreaming.

The whole thing just sounded like awful background music in 90s cooking show. There was nothing I liked about it- the vocals, lyrics, musical composition all awful! The only saving grace was its run time - small mercies. I’d rather listen to the Tom Jones version of Burning Down the House (feat. Nina Persson) on repeat than this album again.

I’m sure I’m going to say this a lot as we move forward, but how on earth is this on a best of anything list? A bunch of forgettable songs with no real discernible style, other than ‘not very good’ and horrible over-bright production. At its worst when it verges into an odd Stereolab-ey psych sort of thing.

Album was enjoyable overall. Not takeaways and nothing crazy, but I did recognize one of the songs. Very light and fun.

норм, попса

Eh

I am surprised I liked this album as much as I did. I previously only knew Lovefool from the album and since it's been overplayed to death, I was mostly expecting meh-ness.

meh. Meh. Meh. Oh? I RECOGNIZE THIS? Meh. Meh. Meh.

I've heard Lovefool, but not the rest of this. It's nice, mellow, somewhat weird pop. I like it more than I think I should. They turned a Sabbath song into something that belongs in a seedy off strip Vegas lounge act. Even better, it actually sounds good like that.

cool

Loved this!

It was an upbeat album. I liked it enough.

I don’t have a copy of the book this 1001 Albums list is based on, so this is speculation, but I imagine it went something like this: a guy had an idea of writing a book about a thousand and one albums that anyone who cares about music absolutely needs to hear. And so this guy started brainstorming albums, he had some friends around and they named albums released throughout the decades, they had heated debates on the merits of them. And at a certain point it fizzled out and they just started naming things to get to that 1001. Because I don’t really see why this album is worth listening to. The Cardigans had one mega hit from First Band on the Moon, and the rest of the album isn’t bad, The Cardigans are fundamentally not a bad band, but they aren’t anything special either. The biggest takeaway from listening to this, particularly as it sometimes veers into that lounge-adjacent thing that had a moment in the 90s, is that Stereolab did that thing WAY better and I’d rather be listening to them.

Loved it

Wunderbare Musik die bewegt und harmonisch ist

Cutesy 90s alt rock that's soft as wet tissue paper, with one radio staple

I mean lovefool is iconic. I like the cover of iron man.

Suuuper catchy all the way through. Such a fun and playful album, it really made me want to dance. I thought I didn't know anything from this album (or this band) but of course I instantly recognized "Lovefool" when it came on. There are some songs on here that I didn't really care for (Heartbreaker, Iron Man, Great Divide) but overall a really good album.

I don’t love the vocals but there are some great tracks in here.

Turns out these aren’t 1 hit wonders at all. At least 5 or 6 hit wonders. Not sure id call it a ‘must hear’ but I look forward to catching The Cardigans play at 2pm on the 3rd stage of some festival at some point in the future.

7/10 Only really knowing the Cardigans from their big hits, one of which is on this record, I was kind of expecting some decent but unspectacular poppy indie. Their hits are great, but it’s often the case that a band like this has slightly more mundane fare on their albums, so imagine my surprise when presented with an album that takes the general gist of their poppier work and twists it into a slightly uncomfortably edged dream-pop. While there are some incredibly pretty and ethereal moments on the record, with choruses typically taking on that role, they often add slightly discordant, dissonant, or distorted aspects into the verses and other sections that create a slightly disconcerting edge to the tracks that’s an incredibly interesting and fresh take on this kind of music. They’re an incredibly solid band, and rarely resorted to thoughtless repetition of ideas, with plenty of musical development, changes to arrangement and little twists of their sound palette to keep things fresh. Nina Persson’s vocal then adds the dreamy narrative, complete with excellent melodic sensibility. Interestingly, her little edge comes more from her lyrics, so while she maintains the more saccharine edge more consistently through each track, her lyrics add that twist that the rest of the band include via musical choices. It’s a cool blend, and one that adds extra depth to the work. The nature of this dreamy type of music does mean that there are slight lulls here and there, and some of the work didn’t quite enthral to the same level as the best songs, but for the most part, this was a really decent and largely consistent record that’s left me interested to find out more about the band’s catalogue. Your New Cuckoo - A light and airy pop music start to the album. It’s got a relaxed, cool vibe, with a nice groove that rolls along underneath it. It’s enjoyable without being spectacular, but still manages to conjure up a sunny and engaging feel that pulls it along, while being sprinkled with pleasing musical hooks. Been It - What an interesting musical turn this takes. The verses have a very atypical chord progression overlaid with a more poppy vocal melody, but the band come closer to the vocal through the pre-chorus, and then the chorus itself is pop-rock excellence. Super hooky, with an uplifting vibe and a lovely, toe-tapping groove. Nice to heart something with such a confident poppy centre deliver something with such an interesting range in feel. Heartbreaker - So they appear to have a love for Black Sabbath, using the opening of their self-titled song in both the intro and outro to this, in addition to the Iron Man cover later on the record. This has a slightly, discordant, experimental edge to it, but it drifts in and out of moments of indie-rock styling too, so that it has a kind of off-kilter but dreamy feel to it. It’s a cool and interesting vibe that lets them stand out from both pop and indie music of the time quite brilliantly while still keeping a toe in each of those genres. Happy Meal II - This has a bit of an unsettling undercurrent, but as with the last track, it manages to transition in and out of that into some more mainstream sounding musical choices really nicely. It’s quite hard to grab hold of, in a way, but that effect is executed in a fairly coherent and considered way so that the slight edge of discomfort feels purposeful and emotionally important. Never Recover - Now we get a bit of pace and some really great poppy hooks. The opening riffs are excellent and the vocal melody is lovely. I kind of wish we got a touch more kick and snare in the mix, because the drumming adds a frantic edge but misses a tiny bit of punch. The harmonic choices against that lead vocal are really nice and, as with much of the album, they don’t make the obvious choices, which is always rewarding to the listener, especially when they still manage to maintain that poppy sensibility. Step On Me - Melodically, this is quite roaming and dreamlike. The blend of vocal parts is really nice and the different sections manage to blend really well but also provide quite distinct vibes and emotional weight. This track feels a touch more disconnected than the better tracks on the album, I think partly due to those roaming melodies that don’t resolve in a way that’s completely satisfying. But it’s still not bad. Lovefool - The big single. Stylistically, it stands out quite a bit from the other tracks in that it feels a little like it’s had some of the more jagged aspects sanded off and some of the more wispy edges tightened up. There’s still that slightly unsettling edge to the verses, but it’s not allowed to become quite as disconcerting as other tracks, but then the chorus is just pop music perfection. I think the drum production helps this track to have a bit more power and momentum, which is helpful too. Losers - The dreamlike edge is back in full force now and this almost feels like a deliberate volte-face from the previous track. There’s some cool, restrained arrangement and use of drawn out and scattered instrumentation that all comes back together into the choruses. Again, there’s enough pop melody in here to centre this, but it’s also weird enough to make it interesting. Iron Man - And what’s weirder than doing a sort of downtempo dream-pop cover of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man? Covers that carve their own idea for a track can be great and this is a brilliant example. The little licks on the instrumental breakdowns are lovely, as are the brief guitar solo sections. It feels so well performed and produced while retaining just about enough of the original to work as a cover. An excellent track. Great Divide - Another dreamy track that kind of plods along a little in places, but does throw in more of those slightly weird sections and blends of sounds that give it a little bit of edge between the dreamier sections. It’s really pretty with a tiny sprinkle of grit here and there to add range, but it’s ultimately not one of the most interesting tracks on the record. Choke - Ooh, there are some very cool pieces of rhythmic work in here and it’s a super laid-back, uptempo little number. It’s got cool hooks, some really funky playing and it feels like they’re making sure every band member has some fun bits of playing to enjoy. The main hook with the flute is really cool. It’s a lovely way to close out the record.

I had their first album Life and had a crush on the singer at the time. Understood they also really like metal, which was funny since they were a pop band. Of course heard Lovefool a gazillion times, but never listened to this album before. The musicianship is really great on here. The lyrics of some songs are not the best, almost like filler lyrics, but a few other songs make up for it. However, the Iron Man cover took it several notches down for me right when I was thinking it was a decent album.

Muito agradável, não é minha a vibe mas é bom

Really like the sad melody

I very well enjoyed this album. The transitions between tracks were cold💀💀

good songs

What a fun album! I LOVED the cover of Iron Man.

So many good indie pop records out there. No idea why this mediocre, insignificant album is on the list.

Really liked these poppy lil diddys

Pretty fun, I’d obviously only heard lovefool

Really nice, loved the first handful of songs, and lovefool literally had me skipping down a mountain Not sure I understand the black sabbath cover though 4

Could only make it in 5 songs or so before I started to opt out, then I listened to the most listened to track of the album, Lovefool, and it reinforced what I was thinking. So bland, boring, waste of time.

Good

What a weird little record. The only song I knew by The Cardigans was Lovefool. Which I always thought was a fun little pop song. But this album is not that song, and I imagine a lot of people bought this for that song and were like, "What the hell is this?". I really enjoyed this to the point where once it ended, I immediately started over. I mean it's a little psychedelic, a little indie pop, and a little 1960s French go-go music. I really liked it. To the point where now I have to find a place to buy it from on vinyl.

Lovefool is a tune

I really, really enjoyed this album! You know it's funny, I had a copy of this on CD when it was first released because of "Lovefool," but other than a few plays in its entirety, it was not a CD that I returned to years ago, and I subsequently forgot about it. Listening yesterday showed me how my musical taste have changed 22 year-old me may have only listened to it a few times and thought 'yeah this is pretty good,' but 30 years later, I'm really digging it and listened to it twice in a row. I appreciate it for its variety, good writing, good musicianship, and just catchiness of many songs. I am glad to have rediscovered it!

iugh el cover de Iron Man. fuera de ahí, 9/10 Grandes rolas, otras olvidables.

Un albúm que sin duda Kat Straford escucharia

Lovefool is iconic and still a great listen amongst this album that otherwise falls a little flat for me.

Somebody love this woman already!

Felt whimsical. Pleasent to listen to. I didnt know lovefool was by the cardigans. Favorite songs where Iron man, happy meal and your new cuckoo. I rate it 4,75.

Not my jam. Actually, a tad grating.

I did not realize that the song Lovefool by The Cardigans was called Lovefool by The Cardigans until I heard this album. The rest of the album was fine. Nothing too exciting. I did think their like lounge cover of Iron Man was hilarious in the best way possible. 3/5

Lovefool is a 5 star track, and while the rest of the album doesn't hit those heights, it was better than I expected.

Got through most of it. Lovefool.

There was definitely a lot of fun ideas in here, but the way it all came together just wasn’t really working for me. I enjoyed a lot of the parts separately - the intricate chord progressions, the lush orchestration, the cool guitar riffs - but it all amounted to something somehow underwhelming. A couple tracks on here I’ll definitely hold on to, but as an album I didn’t find myself connecting to it any substantial way.

It occurred to me on listening today that I never had any idea who wrote Lovefool. I have never heard of this band, but I've heard that song hundreds of times. I don't know who I thought did the song.

first time with this one, though we've all heard "Lovefool" countless times. they've really licensed that one over the years. some real solid pop songs on this album. song structures stay varied enough to keep it interesting, and the vocal performances are a perfect match for the music. there's a lot of sweetness without it becoming saccharine, which is a fine line, and they walk it well. 3.5 for me.

I liked this. Pretty light, fun, catchy fare. Ultimately I respected some of the choices they made more than I really enjoyed them. 3.5

So far it’s pretty light. It’s cool but relatively simple I actually ended up really enjoying this one. It was pretty easy to listen to but had enough edge that it wasn’t boring. Very good for like background music (I was making a candle holder while I listened. It has a little cat on it)

Fine I guess? I'm not sure why we need the album of a one hit wonder. Why not Space Hog or Semisonic? The cover of Iron Man was both unnecessary and bad. Maybe a 2.5

Solid pop album all the way through, not just a one hit wonder (to my surprise). I’m a sucker for a sultry, damaged pop singer and fell in love with the the lead singer immediately. 3.6

3.3 Ok I will admit it, Lovefool is like a top 20 song for me. That Iron Man cover was something else, though

Starts a little weak, but gains traction im the later half

Que álbum legal e bem feito. Músicas muito bem feitas, vocais belíssimos e instrumentais ricos. QoA Adonis New.

I liked it a lot. Interesting sabbath influences coming through (the cover of iron man is obvious, but I seemed to hear variations of the main riff in a later track). The mixing sometimes made it seem like I was listening on the other side of the studio door. Think I'll return to this one in the future.

7/10 Lovefool obviously a banger, but the rest of album is also pretty good

Had only heard the famous song off this one before - the whole album is just as great. Listened 3 times, could have done more.

Another band I know well, but the album here isn't the album I would have put here.

2000s romcom main character music

**An ok album

I love this. Bought it when it came out and still gets played regularly.

I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't an Iron Man cover. Obviously it's nothing on the original but I didn't hate this as an album

Pretty cool, wouldn't turn it off if I heard it again

Not a bad listen; The only one that I have to skip is Iron Man. Other than that, it feels very much like the 90's alternative/pop I grew up with. I gave this one multiple listens easily, again, Iron Man aside. Biggest Hit - Lovefool Biggest Miss - Iron Man Hidden Gem - Step On Me

I thought I was going to like this whole album based on knowing Lovefool and the Iron Man cover, but the high-pitched, baby-like voice gets annoying 3 or 4 tracks in. I really like a few tracks like Never Recover and Your New Cuckoo, but as a complete album, this is hit or miss for me.

Notable Textzeile: There's something to remember And something to forget As long as we remember There's something to regret Something we should know Irgendwie fehlt nur ein ganz kleines Stück Kratzen oder Brechen manchmal, in der Stimme, den Arragenements, ein ganz kleines Stück weniger sweet und perfekt - der Moment der das ganze etwas stärker bricht. Auch in den Lyrics. Aber gefällt mir trotzdem gut und zu recht allgegenwärtige Single, eine gute 3,3.

Ich mag die lakonischen Texte, die Instrumentierung, die Stimme, aber fuck, ist das auf Dauer eintönig.

Perfekt zum Autofahren mit offenem Fenster. Schlecht, wenn die fahrt länger als eine Albumlänge dauert.

extra point for nostalgia. Lovefool is obviously the highlight

Lot of good tunes on here, love her voice. Highlights: "Been It" and "Love Fool"

So darn clean. They are excellent musicians and I appreciate that style of pop music that is nearly scientific in the way it gets in your ear. I am more familiar with their album Life, but I really enjoyed this. They have such a rich, symphonic sound that is really attractive. Lovefool is truly one of the best songs of last century.

Lovefool????????????

69/100. The Cardigans - First Band on the Moon Melancholy becomes strangely beautiful when it no longer asks to be understood directly, but instead reveals itself quietly beneath sweetness and rhythm. This is a really charming record from The Cardigans, balancing sweetness and melancholy in a way that gives the album a surprisingly unique atmosphere. The bass work stands out immediately and gives a lot of the songs their groove and movement. Even when the music feels soft and dreamy, there is still a rhythmic pulse underneath that keeps everything engaging. The album also carries a quiet darkness beneath its pop surface. A lot of the songs sound light and gentle at first, but there is an emotional distance and sadness running through the record that adds much more depth than expected. And of course, having Lovefool on the tracklist definitely helps.

Fun album

This is a hidden gem to me, maybe not so hidden to others! Very fun and full of color on first listen. With he first song, I think they've made the most of typical rock/pop instrumentation with a stylish arrangement and a spunky vocal on top. The prechorus on "Been It" is so seamless, the way she escalates the intensity in her singing voice and the instruments get played louder - it's the functional definition of a good prechorus. Three songs transitioning seamlessly at the beginning of the album is especially impressive. It's a statement that the group demands to be taken as more than a pop act looking for radio success. You know who this group reminds me of? Cibo Matto. Super sweet vocal tones, songs that muse on day-to-day life and relationships. Instrumentals that walk this line of being somehow acceptable in a grocery store but also wildly detailed, revealing themselves to be very thoughtfully crafted. Strangely, I didn't feel an ounce of boredom until "Step On Me", which is apparently one of their most popular songs. I almost always agree with the masses and spotify playcounts reflecting the better songs on any given album. A CRAZY cool cover of "Iron Man" that totally recontextualizes the song and really elevates the back half of this record. Perfect timing, a nice little lounge/trip-hop take. Dreamy, airy, earnest-but-self-aware. A lovely record that works best as a complete front-to-back listen. 4/5 I even listened in my cardigan

I was not familiar with their entire repertoire. Great songs

Why would anyone whose been in a drugstore in the last 30 years choose to listen to "Lovefool" on purpose? It will be on next time you need Valentines candy or a phone charger.

Listening to this album, which I own on cassette, through headphones highlights its sophisticated arrangements and rich instrumentation — and especially the understated treatment of the drums. It’s a great collection of melancholic, quirky pop songs about heartache and bad lovers.“I’ve been your sister / I’ve been your mistress / Baby I was your whore” is a standout lyric in an album full of good lines. It feels like a distinctively 90s echo of Sgt. Pepper’s filtered through a Swedish disposition.

Her voice is a bit twee, but overall I liked this. Not sure it's essential before death, though.

Damn, this is really good. Didn't realize Lovefool was by them, hell I didn't even know the name of the song.

Had a great time with this since I had only heard Lovefool before. They have a distinct sound but a decent variety between tracks between rock, soft piano and horn sections. Her voice is nice even though it sounds like a diary self narration at some points. More good tracks than not and will add a few to my library. Losers is a standout track for sure.

Surprising amount of Black Sabbath references?? Great bright clean mix.

This was enjoyable and prior to listening this I wouldn’t have been able to name the band that played Lovefool but now I can!

Good band, false singing

I found this album uninteresting but benign then I got to the cover of Iron Man which is malignant. The little girl sings pop vocals get a bit jarring by then and that song is just so bad.

Went back and forth about how I felt about her voice but I think ultimately I came around. Already familiar with and love love fool. Pleasantly surprised by the iron man cover. Completely different but I liked it

It was quirky and a little more different then I realized. I enjoyed it, but would like to dive a little deeper to determine if they are just quirky or actually really good.

I gave this a few listens. Love Fool is great. I listened to it alot on the Romeo & Juliet soundtrack. I really wanted to give this a chance because I think it's pretty creative. Each song is unique but nothing especially grabs me. It's pretty okay. I'm about a 3.5 with this but don't like it quite enough to give it a 4. I would listen to more of their albums. I didn't especially care for the Iron Man cover. Interesting choice but not something I would want to listen to again. Although I have heard other jazzified versions of Black Sabbath songs and they actually work pretty well because Sabbath is so groovy. I liked the last two songs on the album best.

Lovefool is a great classic, and the Iron Man cover was pretty cool. The rest was creative and quirky and I think it would grow on me after a couple more listens.

An auditory delight.

Woof what a boring album. That Iron Mam cover can't be serious.

Verging on saccharine at times, but dials it back enough to be a compelling listen. Lovefool was everywhere back in the day, MuchMusic had it on heavy rotation. Had only heard much more recent stuff. The regular Sabbath homages were surprising, to say the least, and added a lot of fun to the record.ucj more depth than I expected from a band often called a one hot wonder.

This is unexpectedly terrific. I love the singer's voice, and the slightly fuzzy, laid back vibe of it all. Very, very pleasantly surprised at this one, but it's excellent.

Good poppy rock. Take me back to my college days. Favorite track: Lovefool

I'd totally listen to this again.

An unfair one-hit wonder label. It's quite a good album, and they've had a few more good ones since.

One of the lyrics to a track on this album was ‘that’s what you call a waste of time’. That’s exactly what this album was, apart from Lovefool

It's 3.5

Can’t believe this sappy pop nonsense made it on here. Bollocks.

Me gusta más Gran Turismo, esta epoca no me encanta

Very, very enjoyable! I liked the contrast between the softer vocals and the more intense instrumentation. God awful cover of paranoid though haha

The third entry from Sweden, this is the Cardigans third release and it includes their big hit “Lovefool”. Can this really be 30 years ago?

I don't think they were even on the moon at all! That said, yay. These songs all sound a lot like 'Lovefool', but that is one of the first radio songs I remember liking. So, I'm into it. Plus this is very Eurovisiony. The 'Iron Man' cover is not working for me, though. 'Choke' sounds more like 'Iron Man' than 'Iron Man'. I give it a high 3.

Great memories and some songs that define some of the late 90s pop aestethics. And a Black Sabbath cover! To me this is THE Cardigans album.

This is one of at least two albums by The Cardigans I consider to be 10/10s. Already with two excellent tweepop albums under their belt the breadth of material that made up their third was no surprise to anyone who’d been paying close attention. The clues were already there, but this time the quintet and their producer cooked up all manner of unusual arrangements and made sure to throw something properly interesting into every song. Their songs had always hidden a sophistication within the pop sheen but things get elevated even further on First Band… It also saw singer Nina Persson take more of a role as lyricist and the turn away from sweetness to a darker place in these songs is no coincidence. A special mention should also go to drummer Bengt Lagerberg whose endless invention is a delight throughout. The Cardigans being afforded but a lone entry in the 1001, it was always going to go to the one with the global hit on it, but “Lovefool” is just an element of a special album with no weak links. All this and yet it’s not even my favourite of their albums; Long Gone Before Daylight will be a major contender for my contribution to 1001More if it’s not already made it by then.

No está mal

I thought I had never heard The Cardigans before but then I got to Lovefool and went ”Ohhhhhhhhhh it’s THAT song”

Good record. Lovefool is a great song.

Really not for me. I don’t like the vocals. As a one off song, maybe it’s fine. But a whole album of it ? It was so bad to the point that by the time I got to Lovefool, even that song started to sound annoying. And the lyrics man, It’s just not good. They were so cringe at times. The only two songs I found okay were Lovefool (I don’t really like it but It’s catchy) and Ironman (which is apparently a cover so does that even count?). 1.5/5 because the vocals and lyrics

A very distinctive sound. Enjoyed listening to this album.

Not my cup of tea.

I wasn't expecting so many nods to Black Sabbath. I think I really like Gran Turismo era Cardigans. This was okay. I was listening to an interview with Stephen Malkmus the other day and he mentioned that he used to take genres and types of music that made him physically ill to listen to and try to make something from it. I kind of feel like there is an attempt here by the Cardigans do something similar. Taking some of disco, 70's power pop, maybe a little Carpenters. Maybe it wasn't that they disliked that music, maybe it was the opposite. Anyways I got tired of it after awhile, it's fine in smaller non-album-sized doses.

A generous 4 but I liked this. Good singer, good tunes. Lovefool heads and shoulders above the rest.

동화같구....좋네요

The multiple Black Sabbath references on a random pop rock record is pretty interesting. I actually really like the music on the "Iron Man" cover. Overall this is kind of middling for me. I like Nina Persson's vocals and the foundation of the music is pretty solid. I don't really like the production. The mix feels a bit off to me with some instruments crowding the others out a bit. And there's sort of a grating tone to it sometimes. That's probably mainly the keyboards. "Step on Me" might be my favorite on the album. "Lovefool" is catchy as hell, of course.

This pick made me so unexpectedly angry! Wouldn’t you want to pick Life or Gran Turismo? Presumably you picked this because it has their big hit, their big hit everyone has heard, so wouldn’t it make more sense to steer people to more interesting albums??? I’m not even a huge Cardigans fan, but what the fuck??!

The first track ‘your new cuckoo’ felt dreamy and well produced creating a positive start to the album, I then felt like the band went on an exploration expedition- almost like they were trying to mix the grunge era with pop and It flowed and worked really well even when at times the album seemed a bit too depressing! Arguably a couple of weaker tracks in the middle of the album on first listen, however on second listen they didn’t actually feel weak. ‘Ironman’ I felt went off track and didn’t feel Like it fitted on the album and the last track also lost gumption. Dreamy, depressing grudgey pop.. but I enjoyed it! 8.5/10 Best track- ‘losers’ although could easily have been 3 or 4 others. Worst track- ‘iron man’

Cardigans Didn't really get going for me until three tacks in when we hit Happy Eater II and it's really clever interweaving drum patterns. Never Recover, Step on Me and Lovefool all strong tracks - particularly Step on Me. Realised Cardigans are a bit of an iron fist in a velvet glove. Bittersweet melodies with a hidden undercurrent of menace - the fuzz guitar on Lovefool for example. Of the rest, I thought the cover of Iron Man was absolutely brilliant - can imagine the handwringing it must have brought to countless Black Sabbath fans 😂 Album closed on a casual high for me with the Bluresque Choke. Mostly solid, sometimes flacid, but occasionally brilliant. Best Track - Step On Me Worst Track - Been It 7/10

This is an ok album and will probably push me back to using 3 as the only score that seems appropriate for so many albums on this app. There was a moment when listening to this I thought I might go 4. It's very distinctive, confident and lots of fun.

Of course, Lovefool is the standout hit here, and it’s a fantastically written pop song, but the rest of this album was relatively enjoyable too. I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy this kind of sugary pop, but it’s not something I’d object to.

I didn't know this album was as horny as it was. Pretty good! And it had that crazy hit song.

It’s so unique, in general, but also for the time period when it was released. 1996 was still very much post grunge, alternative, a lot of doom and gloom… and The Cardigans dared to be different. Not to mention that “Lovefool” is a fucking BANGER and one of my favorite songs of all time. They do have a slightly weird obsession Black Sabbath, who would’ve thought, even going so far as to do a way bizarre cover of “Iron Man”. They also tease the riff of the song “Black Sabbath” in one of their tunes. Weird, but for me it doesn’t detract from the overall greatness of this album.

Weird one for sure. Not a super fan of the "baby voice", although it suits the first half of the record pretty well. The second half falls off pretty quickly and I didn't particularly love the Iron Man cover.

3/5. The Cardigans biggest hit, Lovefool is straight up one of the best pop songs of the 90’s. Insanely catchy and lyrically an interesting look into being just way too down bad for someone to the extent that she’s begging them to pretend to love her. The rest of the album unfortunately never hits that same high but it’s still some solid enough 90’s pop-rock. Though shoutouts to the weird ass cover of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man near the album, was kinda funny and surprising.

On the first listen, I found it almost annoying but I gave it another try and started to appreciate it. Besides the famous hit single, 2-3 songs are quite enjoyable too...

I really like the vibes of this album, I think the cover of Iron Man sounds great on it Fav songs - Lovefool, Iron Man 4/5

Is the one song using the opening to Moving in Stereo and bass line from Black Sabbath? Lovefool! I knew the style sounded familiar. Now Iron Man? Are these guys just big Black Sabbath fans?

Good album with a few excellent songs. Not remarkable to my taste though

A fun album. Definitely sounds like music you would while on the end of a breakdown. Weird sounding pop music made by metalheads. I liked it.

A soundtrack to Hell?!

Lovefool is an overall catchy tune, but the vocal style just became annoying after a while to me. 3 stars.

I'd never listened to The Cardigans before, beyond hearing "Lovelorn" back in the day. This album is weird in fun an interesting ways. Even the bizarre trip-hop cover of Iron Man was fun and quirky. I loved this album. 5 stars.

This album was staged

Voor elk goed nummer een ster

Pfff

A lovely boppy + peaceful album to play whilst working. Some cool melodies and beats!!

Quite Pleasant + Lovefool

I liked it. I would listen to it again. Lots of good songs. More of a chill or thinking music.

I enjoyed this way more than I expected to. I've always loved "Lovefool" (Kelly Taylor's graduation party, anyone?) but didn't expect to recognize anything else. Then I found myself remembering and singing along to "Been It" and the Sabbath cover was a pleasant surprise. This group was too poppy for me to be interested in 1996, but listening 30 years later I'm struck by the realization that if you added a crunchy guitar or two these guys would sound a lot like the music I was into at the time (Veruca Salt, Liz Phair, etc.) Not quite 4 stars but a strong 3.

I absolutely loved this. I listened to this when I was younger and didn't rate it that highly. I don’t know what was wrong with me. This is an amazing album. Favourite track? Great Divide

Noice! Just short

Couldn't get into it

Wow I loved this so much!

Whatever man

Epic! It’s a classic. The story behind this album is made from a Radiohead song, especificlly “creep” hahaha blew my brains 🫠.

Listened to it before, pretty decent album I would say

okay I only knew love fool but I dig this so heavy. such a perfect encapsulation of 90’s soft rock

Not a fan of the Iron Man cover & in general just not a fan of the lead singer's voice it's a bit too breathy for me.

6/10

Nada. Cero. Horrible el timbre de voz de la cantante, desesperante producción. No me gustó ni un poco. Hasta Lovefool me parece un hit aburrido. Ese cover de Black Sabbath. Mamita. 38 minutos que detesté. 2/10

RATING: 8.5/10 HIGHLIGHT: Heartbreaker LOWLIGHT: Great Divide

I don’t think I would’ve listened to this album had it not been for this project. I enjoyed it. I thought the album would be poppier, but it’s got an edge that I liked. The cover of Iron Man is hysterical.

Very smooth and catchy tunes, the album flows very easily but the singer's voice starts to be redundant and annoying in the end. Of course one huge hit that gives it more rythm but it's also not my style ... Cover : Like the font and style, not very original though !

Fav song: Lovefool

Lovely to hear this today. Enjoyable music and Nina has a great voice.

Lovefool is a scorcher and the arrangements are lovely, just enough to lift it above the crowd

Bien.

sweet

Love fool is a classic from my childhood, hadn’t heard the rest. Didn’t love or hate any of the other songs, but the production was interesting with muffled guitars and a sort of Lo fi aesthetic for an album with a massive top 40 hit.

This was fine but it didn’t do much for me

I thoroughly enjoyed it.. I listened to it a few times by now. Very unique, not repetitive and predictable. Easy listening.

PEAKNESS i love❤️❤️❤️

good listen

Been It Heartbreaker Happy Meal II Never Recover Lovefool Losers

Been It Happy Meal II Step on Me Lovefool Losers Iron Man

Dare I say, it rocks. Would love to get this on cd! Surprisingly melancholic and I'm vibing the entire time.

I was expecting millennial slop, but this is timeless

Very charming! I do like the Cardigans and their twee pop thing they've got going. The trio of songs Never Recover, Step on Me, Lovefool are so fun and catchy. It's a 3 1/2 so I almost went for a 4 but idk couldn't do it!!!

Quite catchy

whole album is cohesive but not a very big fan of the voice or the arrangements. especially in the last song.

4/5

So, I like the Cardigans and their lyrics. However, there are some songs that I wish were sung in another genre or style. Like Been It. It could’ve gone the Portishead route but as is kinda reminds me of Sheryl Crow.

Weirdly good

Started of strong but stalled towards the end. The band plays tight and all around this was a fun listen.

Lots of different influences going on which could be messy but they keep it together. Very catchy and lively.

Solid 3/5 album. It was pleasant to listen to and it kept introducing interesting things.

Never recover is a banger. I think Megan has heard this one already. Very good

I hated this band as a teenager when it came out and this album isn't my cup of tea at all. But being older and wiser, I can kind of appreciate the humour in it a bit more. It's still a 2 because it kind of annoys me musically, really jars to listen into if you are just not into whimsical stuff. The Cardigans have at least two 4 star albums (long gone and Gran Turismo are excellent) but I just don't get early Cardigans stuff.

the Justin Bieber interpolation song album! You know... he had that one song... you knowww... Anyway this album is cool. Starting with "Your New Cuckoo," a song with great vocals, great production, and a really awesome riff, and then moving to "Been It," which I like a lot (the chorus is wonderful). "Heartbreaker" and "Happy Meal II" are both cute, but "Never Recover" is fucking insane. Sounds like an Alvvays song, but it happens to also be really well-written (which Alvvays songs are, but like the writing stands out here). "Step On Me" is really good too, and then "Lovefool" is obviously a huge fucking home run. From there we have "Losers" which is a pretty alright song. "Iron Man" as a song is pretty tight too, and I'm told it's a cover of Black Sabbath's seminal metal song of the same name. It's pretty cool. My only real problem with any of this is that the lulls are sooooooooo apparent, and they kind of become drawbacks for me. It's all pretty good, but the experience it adds up to can tend to be taken away from by the inconsistency of the song quality sometimes. It's still pretty awesome though. 7.9/10

Didn't have a chill ass indie pop Black Sabbath cover on my bingo card, but somehow I'm sort of here for whatever fever dream that was.

amazing - easily clears IKEA as "best Swedish export that blew up in the '90s."

One of those albums that are impossible to dislike in my opinion. Feels warm and cinnamony and nostalgic despite not having listened to all of the songs in this album. That being said not something that I would listen to in my own time

For me, The Cardigans encapsulate warm, sunny days driving in the car where me and my mum have finally decided on music that we both like. They feel nostalgic despite not having a long-term impact on my life, maybe because I always listen to them when I'm happy and this just paints them in a positive light. For sure, a lot of their songs are reasonably forgettable, but the ones I like, I realllly like so that kind of makes up for it. I will say I've never heard their Black Sabbath covers before... that was definitely something new....

Hmmm idk about these guys. I can imagine they're the kind of band where the songs grow on you on the second and third listen. Unfortunately for them I will not be doing that so they get a 2.5 stars rounded up

Pleasant & easy listen! Reminds me a bit of Mars Argo's music. I like the singer's voice. My favorite song of the album is Step On Me.

Kind of whiny, but was she prescient about "I am Ironman"?

I always thought of the Cardigans as a 1 hit wonder. "Love Fool" obviously. But I dug this album and surprisingly enjoyed their very mellow rendition of "Iron Man."

Surprisingly fun. I enjoyed it

Very good. Love lovefool

Oh hey, it's that one song that was really really popular. The rest of the album is okay, I guess.

No llegue

This is incredibly forgettable, generic 90's pop.

Pretty nice one, like the black sabbath stuff Will I listen to again: 50%

came in KNOWING i was going to appreciate this album based solely on the title. i recall reaching happy meal II and thinking about how lucky i was to stumble across this album. and then step on me starts playing and i start tweaking and racking my brain trying to recall this song and eventually it clicks and im just one with the instrumentals. and THEN lovefool ?? right after step on me ?? oh my god i love this album i would listen to every song many many more times, most of them have been favorited without second thoughts. great album. best album ive heard since starting this (what felt like a) debacle of a venture. amazing.

only reason this was picked for this list and not the superior Emmerdale and Life is obviously the central track Lovefool, which is admittedly one of their best songs - and one of the biggest pop hits of the modern era. That's not to say other parts of first band on the moon don't come close to the magic of that track. Actually most of it does. The flute-laden opener sets the tone perfectly, and the stretch around Lovefool are all imo all on par with that song (especially their cheeky Ironman cover and the sugar-grungey Losers). It's a great album, hell it's the Cardigans. I will glaze them till the end of time. But let's not joke around and pretend this is their best album by any stretch of the imagination.

Nice songs, relaxing and a classic like lovefool

I started this album and was immediately dreading listening to the rest of it. I couldn’t stand her forced innocent, breathy vocals. Then it got a little better, then a little better, then I was actually really enjoying this album by track 6 - Step on Me. Then Lovefool came on and I thought oh god they did this song. The rest of the tracks were somewhere in the middle of this rollercoaster of emotions. I think I’ve settled on it being pretty good overall. I can definitely see the influence they had on the early 2000s. I was immediately drawing comparisons to Camera Obscura. Best tracks: Step on Me Losers Great Divide 7/10 I was going to give this an album 3 stars but I’m listening to my favorite tracks back and I think I actually love them. Guess they just had to grow on me.

salvo la cancion conocida despues es insoportable ka voz de esta muchcha por dios

I didn't know they were Swedish. This is good stuff. Lovefool is the odd track out, though. The rest sound like songs they play between articles on NPR. Cool enough to be relevant, but inoffensive enough to ignore if it's not your jam.

The vocals on this are just pitched at irritation for me. I mean they kinda work on their hit 'Lovefool' but only if you like insipid. This goes in the 'never again' bucket, which is getting to be quite full after all the dross I've had to endure on this list.

It was great! Honestly such a good listen, i played it while i was studying and it put me in such a good mood

A good album with good songs

I haven't heard much from cardigans (a big fault, i know) but everything i know i LOVE. Nina Persson has SUCH a beautiful voice, no matter ehat she sings, its sounds lighthearted and full of... idk. sunshine? I'm not great at focusing on the lyrics when i listen to new music, and so i have no ides what it's being said, but because she's singing it feels goooooood

I found the first 30 seconds of this intensely annoying. Can it recover... No, her voice is annoying, the compositions are annoying, everything sounds a little weak and fluffy. Perhaps it's a case of wrong album on the wrong day.

Rien à dire. C'était un album particulièrement osef, pas mauvais, mais je ne comprends pas ce que ça fait dans la liste. Et j'ai littéralement rien de plus à dire.

I'm probably being overly generous but I kinda liked this a lot

Enjoyable with the highlights of the Iron Man cover and their big hit. Nearly a 4 but not quite.

For some reason I thought it said this was released in 1976 which massively confused me. Then I was caught off guard by the opening of Black Sabbath, and then later the full cover of Iron Man. I enjoyed this

2.5

4.5

I always was a sucker for "Lovefool" but for some reason for an album length it just didn't hold up for me. I think part of it is the fact that she sings like she's a Kewpie doll, and a spot on reminder of Sixpence None the Richer, which never was a bad band in itself but just never was one that totally blew me away kind of like this. Other than the big hit the only thing I really stood out to me was a very interesting take on Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" which I actually heard for the first time just about a month ago when I went to see rat boys , that was one of the songs playing before the show. Anyways... it's a solid album overall, just not 100% my thing. (7.4) ★★★½

A mixed bag, but some songs I enjoy a lot. 3.5 stars

I think "Lovefool" is probably the only song I've ever heard by this band. The rest is kind of meh for me. Something about Nina Persson's vocal delivery I don't really like -- it's too precious and comes across like the more annoying aspects of Gwen Stefani. Outside of "Lovefool", "Losers" is pretty decent, I guess. Light 3 stars.

4.5

Best Nina. Very cuddly and delicious even if Lovefool is the main actual diamond track with the Iron Man cover being a distant honourable mention. Definitely more a singles act. I would actually put the Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery soundtrack over this. Carnival is even more of a delicious sexy firecracker than Lovefool.

Gran Turismo has everything I like about the Cardigans on it, this one had everything I dislike. There's cool influences here, the album sounds almost Jazz-esque at times. It's fucking boring though. The vocals can put me to sleep and the gentle way in which the entire album plays out doesn't help. The Iron Man cover is a fun gimmick and all I'll probably revisit here.

A lot of the same. And the one famous song.

Mediocre 90s fayre

#922. Perfectly acceptable mid-tier lesbian pop. 3/5: fine

Bland for blandness sake with a contrived singing voice. Makes Coldplay seem interesting.

Favorite Track: Lovefool

Very cool album! I liked it a lot

A very pleasant surprise. Turns out Lovefool is almost the perfect pop song. The band plays some actual music on here. The cover of Iron Man is excellent and Nina's vocals are fucking brilliant all the way through. I toyed with giving this a big fat 5, but I'm gonna be sensible.

Not their best but pretty ok

Solid album. Lovefool is a classic. I enjoyed this. 3.5.

This is one of those albums where the major hit is so good that it balloons your expectations for what the other songs should be. The other songs are fine, but they’re nothing in comparison to “Lovefool.” Still a pleasant listening experience though.

The band that brought you "Lovefool" has a whole bunch of other perfect pop masterpieces up their sleeve. Go figure. An underrated classic if there ever was one, First Band on the Moon is a remarkably consistent release that never really lets the momentum stop, even in its slowest loungiest moments (just check out that cocktail bar cover of "Iron Man!") On this album, twee-but-knowingly-sly frontwoman Nina Persson mostly sings of unrequited love and hopeless devotion. There's no better example of it than the mid-section one-two of "Step on Me" and the monster hit "Lovefool," the latter of which was a comprehensive introduction to the indie pop stylings of the Cardigans while also serving as the thesis of this album. It's a song so desperate for affection it doesn't care if it's even genuine; after all, the lyrics instruct you to "say that you love me," to "pretend that you love me." It's the epitome of a charity case hopeless romantic characterized in song. The reverse side of the coin is the jilted "Been It," curiously released as the follow-up single to "Lovefool." While it didn't do quite the same numbers as the former, (I don't think any song with a hook saying "baby I was your whoooooore" would ever fly with general radio audiences) "Been It" is the highlight of this album for me. A sunshine pop tune that just barely hides its disdain and mockery under a smile that doesn't quite reach the protagonist's eyes. The perfect combination of sardonic lyricism and pop sensibilities, which is really what I can say about this entire album. First Band on the Moon is proof the Cardigans were far, far more than a simple one-hit wonder: the rest of their work more than matches their lone massive hit. Key Tracks: Your New Cuckoo, Been It, Lovefool, Iron Man

Really sweet and soothing voice with lyrics that dont always match it. The vibe is very good and I had a very good listen.

Really really fun pop album with some real passive aggressive lyrics. I enjoyed it a lot.

not really my type

There's some bangers on here, but mostly I'm not super impressed. I did not expect that I'd hear a cover of 'Iron Man' when I put on the album, and while I don't think it's a great cover, it is fun to hear other interpretations of legendary tracks like that sometimes. 'Lovefool' is the main attraction here for me though Standouts Lovefool Iron Man 3/5

Muy buen disco, muy entretenido de escuchar, tiene su éxito Love Me. Realmente un disco recomendado!

A favourite band at the time, this was probably my lowest ranked of their albums from Life through to Long Gone Before Daylight, but it's still a wonderful album. Nina became a true favourite by the time she did the A Camp albums where her voice became a thing of true wonder. Caught them live during Gran Turismo era as well (at the dreadful Royal Albert Hall) and they were surprisingly muscular, the guitarist showing himself to be an extraordinary musician. I heard somebody complaining of the baby vocals but if you listen properly she can and does belt it out at times, even if her best vocals are still to come.

Sad ABBA-esque pop with metal undercurrent.

After two albums (or one and a half depending on how you view Emmerdale and Life) this feels more gimmicky than previous efforts. Instead of feeling fresh it's formulaic. It's still good, Nina's vocals are always great, and the band is on point, but we've heard it all before. And my god I don't need to hear Lovefool ever again.

Kul att lyssna på Cardigans. Har bara hört hitsen. Dom har verkligen ett speciellt sound. Uppskattar det men jag vet inte om skivan som helhet är något speciellt för mig. 3:a

it was fun 90s pop with a more punk feel

It is objectively not a bad album but it just isn't for me. 2/5.

I liked this album - some groovy guitars and songs, I like her voice, one track I remember charting.

Verkligen ett originellt ljud. Intressanta melodier och arrangerat utan att det blir svårlyssnat. Något för downbeat för min smak, men fungerar ändå att lyssna på i många sammanhang

Was surprised at how much this album SLAPS. I can’t believe I slept on it all these years.

The Good: The great news that not only astronauts get to be on the moon! The Bad: Knowing that the band is wearing cardigans… The Ugly: You know… cardigans… Setting aside the dresscode… what a nice little trip down ‘90s memory lane this has been. The production is top notch, the songs are just right… nothing to complain about here… except that, well… it is a little bland… like a cardigan. So, I will give these venturing Swedes a 3* and off to rate one of the other 25 albums I have been skipping lately…

Este sí que fue su mejor disco, la fama les llegó después pero aquí estaban al nivel de los mejores Cranberries o Saint Etiene (estilos muy diferentes tanto los ingleses como los irlandeses pero con algo en común). Luego ya con el siguiente Gran turismo y sobre todo con My favourite game terminaron por arrasar, pero el bueno es este. Los anteriores no son malos ni mucho menos. De aquí, Lovefool fue su tema más conocido, peor hay mucho más (sin llegar a este nivel). Con Nina Persson como mascarón de proa. Ya desde Your new cuckoo que podrían firmar Club 8 o cualquier grupo de sellos como Sincerely Yours o Labrador. Been it ya muestra un sonido más duro que su anterior Emmerdale pero lo que nadie podía sospechar es que incluyeran una versión de Black Sabbath y además salieran airosos: Iron man , nada menos que de Paranoid. Cierto es que Svensson y Seveningsson venían del hardocore. Heartbreaker incluye citas a estos padrinos del heavy, si bien el tono es mucho más reposado. Gran contraste. Losers es otro gran tema, a medio camino entre la balada clásica y el pop. Camino que sigue en otra de las puntas del disco: Great divide, más tirando hacia el clásico que hacia el pop inane. Choke es un tema que resume perfectamente el sonido del disco: pop, bien compuesto e interpretado, con una base con mayor chicha de la que parece y sobre todo tarareable. Gran disco.

Cortito. Me gustaron unas 3 rolas

Full of classics so far

First Band On The Moon is an album i listened to and reviewed back in 2023 a bit before starting this project and i wasn't really that much of a fan. Though, like Illmatic, i think my opinion has improved slightly because i thought this album was fine. I think that there was some solid musicianship here especially with the bass. I did think that the lyrics in some of the songs were not the greatest though. There was a lot of Black Sabbath influences in these songs oddly enough including an Iron Man cover. I wasn't really a big fan of it as i felt it sounded too chill which doesn't fit considering what the lyrics are actually about. I still thought this album was a perfectly fine listen, just nothing too special. Best Song: Great Divide Worst Song: Iron Man

Lo escuché mientras armaba el album. Love me love sayyy that u loooveeee meeeee😝🤞🏽

I've always had a like/hate relationship with The Cardigans. Like, because Ive never loved any of their music, hate because I have hated a number of their songs. That sone they did with Tom Jones is genuinely one of the worst songs of all time. Yet, Nina shows up on Your Love Alone Is Not Enough, which is one of the best songs of all time. Unsurprising then that this album is a bit all over the place. The first two songs are good, then it falls off a cliff for the next two. Lovefool was never more than okay, but it's the big hit here. The vocals are sometimes twee and offputting, other times more tolerable and sultry. Some songs have a laid back 60s vibe. They cover Black Sabbath. So, it's a but of a mess. Whether or not the band deserve to be on this list is subjective - I'd argue that someone like Natalie Imbruglia had at least two albums more deserving of a space or two here. But if they must be, this is probably the right album in their discography.

Its ok. Its not horrible. Just a bit bland and twee. And I really hate their cover of Iron Man which cost them a point. Not my thing and if anything it irritated me. 2/5.

Had a few highlights, namely “Been It”, “Choke”, and “Lovefool”, and was a decently good record overall!

It's a very fun album. Playful with a good energy and hooks for days. There is plenty of catchy songs, even the slow ballads are admirable even if not perfect. I like the noisier songs in particular, they have amazing guitar textures that compliment the soft vocals surprisingly well.

I so love this!

Not a fan of the vocals or the 90s indie rock.

Been a dodgy couple of weeks but FINALLY... good songs, great delivery 🙂

Chill and funky, but no where close to the cardigans best. A little one note in places.

First Band On The Moon

The Cardigans

Reviews (page 3 of 10)