The Lilac Time

Album review

Pelle Carlberg shows no signs up being any less quirky, funny, witty or able to craft catchy tunes on his third solo album The Lilac Time. Alternating between light and breezy jangle pop songs reminiscent of the kind of songs fellow countryman Jens Lekman writes when he's happy and quiet, and sad acoustic songs that show some emotional depth, the album is just as good as his previous album In a Nutshell, and at times even better. The lovely "Nicknames" which has Club 8's Karolina Komstedt on angelic backing vocals, the perky and hand-clappy "Fly Me to the Moon" (whose sweet melody is at odds with the vicious lyrics), and the delicate ballad "Whisper" are first-rate indie pop and rank with Carlberg's best work. Only the overly Belle & Sebastian-influences 1983 ("Pelle & Sebastian") and the closing, dirge-y "Tired of Being PC" let down the side some. While it doesn't quite live up to the band the album takes its title from, Carlberg's third has fans of literate and snappy Swedish pop already anticipating his fourth.

© Tim Sendra /TiVo