ARTIST: The Cardigans 
TITLE: Emmerdale
YEAR RELEASED: 1994
CHART ACTION: None
SINGLES: Rise and Shine (#29 UK), Black Letter Day, Sick and Tired (#34 UK)
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: They cover Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
LINEUP: Lars-Olof Johansson, Bengt Lagerberg, Nina Persson, Magnus Sveningsson, Peter Svensson
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Sweet sounding Swedish pop band has a secret sour side.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: With Nina Persson on vocals, it’s hard to be a dour and sour group, and yes, most of the Cardigans work sound sweet, but there’s a hidden edge there.
The confluence of a sweet voice, bright sounding arrangements, and sometimes dark lyrics make for an intriguing and sometimes compelling listen. Peter Svensson’s ear for melody (mostly co-written with Magnus Sveningsson) and the arrangements draw you in, and Persson’s vocal delivery keeps you there.
They’re not quite 100% here – a couple of songs could have been reworked or developed more, but it’s still a great debut from a unique 90’s group.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: Svensson was a former metal-head, thus the Sabbath cover.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: Yes, they released different versions of their first two albums, and there’s a version with the leftover songs appended to this album.
GRADE: B+: You’ll sing along and wonder why the words you’re singing are sometimes sad and bitter.
But Is It Any Good? 