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| The Cardigans. From left to right: Peter Svensson (guitars, vocals), Bengt Lagerberg (drums, percussion), Nina Persson (lead vocals), Magnus Sveningsson (bass, vocals), Lars-Olaf Johansson (keyboards, piano, guitar). Image source: genius.com |
This recent summer and first month of my senior year in college has been defined by one band that I have been playing on repeat for quite some time. The first time I have ever heard a song by them was when I was a kid in the late 90s, but it wasn't until about 5 years ago when I decided to rediscover it. This song, in particular, is what could be considered the one that gave them significant airtime and made them commercially successful (if you haven't guessed what the song is yet, then I hope the lyrics "love me, love me, say that you love me" ring a bell). "Lovefool" made The Cardigans recognizable in the US due to it's catchy bossa nova and alternative rock vibe mixed with Nina Persson's sweet-as-always voice. But after "Lovefool," the band was barely mentioned on the [American] airwaves and were eventually never heard from again. They were pretty popular in Europe and in their home country of Sweden, but how come they aren't as famous as they should be on an international scale?
This question is loaded and suggests that The Cardigans are some ground-breaking group that hasn't received the full attention and recognition they deserve. In my purely personal opinion, they are one of the most underrated alternative rock bands to come out of the 90s. What is so underrated about The Cardigans? Perhaps we should be asking a better question: what is so good about The Cardigans?
To begin with, they are the type of band whose music still sounds fresh 20 years after breaking into the scene. Their songs can be described as feel-good hits and are the kinds you can listen to when you're down and looking for a remedy to make yourself instantly feel better. The Cardigans' early songs were mainly jazz and 60s pop-oriented and had this very mellow and relaxing essence to them. This vibe a listener would get from hearing these early songs is also due to Nina's soft soprano voice (she could sing you the most hardcore song and it would sound terrific enough to put you to sleep -- in a good way!). Another thing that makes The Cardigans unique is that their lead guitarist and bassist (Peter Svensson and Magnus Sveningsson) are both metal musicians. Their ability to play soft music to accompany Nina's voice is outstanding as most musicians who play a particular genre are unable to break out of the genre's style whenever they attempt to sound different. When you combine all these elements, you get a classic Cardigans sound that stands out from other alternative bands. As a result, their sound is not something that is cliche or prominent of a certain era in music but rather one that stands on its own to become timeless.
What makes The Cardigans ground-breaking is their ability to make 60s pop sound modern. When you listen to rock/pop songs from the 60s, you can definitely hear this distinct ring of a rhythm guitar and the prominent use of keyboards (a good example of this would be "I'm a Believer" by The Monkees). The Cardigans have taken this ring and mixed the sound with jazz and use keyboards as a finishing touch to make their songs sound reminiscent of the 60s while remaining modern at the same time. As a result of this approach, none of their songs sound old or outdated.
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| Nina has a soprano voice that is very integral to the sound of The Cardigans. Hearing her speak is enough to mesmerize anyone. |
The last quality that The Cardigans do very well in is covering Black Sabbath. This is where opinions start to divide on the musicianship of the group as their covers are something that you will either love or hate. Despite backlash and criticism they received from loyal Black Sabbath fans, the band deserves praise for turning these songs into their own. Their strongest cover would have to be "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" due to the stark contrast between its dark, pessimistic lyrics and playful jazz tune. Like most good songs, it can be difficult to pay attention to the lyrics when the melody and rhythm are the first observable highlights. But once you start to pay attention to what is being sung, it really changes how you hear the song. The Cardigans have succeeded at just doing that as they have made pessimism sound optimistic and optimism sound pessimistic and would consequently throw the listener into this conflict of emotions. Some listeners might not like this and would prefer to have the mood of the lyrics match the mood of the instrumentals. However, this approach makes The Cardigans stand out as there aren't many bands who are able to provoke this kind of effect on their listeners.
The ability to play on the listener's emotions while sounding fresh many years later is a quality that is not seen in many bands these days. The Cardigans are one of the very few who have this aspect to them, which makes them one of my favorite bands of all time. But why aren't they more popular? We may never know the answer aside from speculating that this is not what the labels want to sell (note that the music we hear on TV and the radio these days are "first-tier" and receive the most exposure; they usually sound the same until record companies decide they want to sell something different). Despite their current standing, the band is one of the best alternative groups to come out of the 90s and are a visible treasure sitting among a pile of other bands just waiting to be heard by the starved listener.
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