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First Band on the Moon by the Cardigans

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First Band on the Moon by the Cardigans Review: First Band on the Moon by The Cardigans Michael Patrick Posival, University of North Texas The album starts with the quiet chirp of when experiencing something so beautiful in an imitated bird noise with the song “Your which she explains “I read your lips with New Cuckoo.” The title foreshadows the fear.” As to where this fear originates, it is feeling for the band by the end of the album. never explained overtly but still connects The song continues with subtle, simple with all the fear people have of being hurt in guitar riff that ascends forward in the mix as some way or another. The song ends with a a thumping bass line soon follows. After the jazz flute being played in the spaces of the fourth phrase of the progression in a major, drums and bass, taking the place of what the song erupts into a disco drum and bass would be a guitar solo, and the drums, bass, composition that is sure to get listeners’ and flute end rather abruptly on a minor note heads bobbing. The song then switches into as the song leads into the next song almost a beautiful mixture of major and minor immediately. chords during the verse phrases and then “Been It” starts with a quick bass riff settles back to the major progression for the and synced drum pattern that cues a melody. audible chorus parts. After the first chorus, The guitar player, Peter Svensson, swings in there is a brief, yet captivating music break with a stop riff, like something that one in which the guitar plays a single note riff might hear with an old school metal song while the bass and drums drop out for two but in a clean, bright guitar tone, adding a measures and come right back in for another beautiful minor substance to the first verse. verse, this time shorter, and back into the An increasing, scale-oriented change hypnotizing chorus. The melody floats over supports the pre-chorus and the chorus is the musical composition of this song so brought to life as Persson sings “Who can elegantly with grace and style as Nina ask me for more, I’ve been your sister, I’ve Persson sings “I saw you standing there, I been your mistress. Maybe I was your whore, stopped and stared, the curly girly smiled, Who can ask me for more?” It is evident that you really were” as she goes on to describe she feels exhausted of both emotional and being captivated by a suitable love interest mental resources. The song circles through either purely physical, or perhaps more the same order enhancing this theme of spiritual. The chorus is a beautiful exhaustion. assortment of lalas and “let’s say forever “Heartbreaker” begins with Begt let’s say it’s true” trying to hold on to the Lagerberg on drums playing a pattern that feeling that she continues to crave while brings to mind the notion of a Beatles song simultaneously experiencing it. There is a one has never heard. The bass then begins hint of fear as is a natural human instinct with a three note riff that rings out. Then the The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 2, March 2018 83 vocals begin with Persson singing a soft on this man to feel better, which conflicts melody over the rest of the music. “No not with her sense of guilt. A description of her again, oh what a man, just who I thought mindset while this relationship continues that I wanted to have, oh don’t do that, don’t can be found in the second verse. “Vacant use that bat that’s all it takes to make me and free, yeah that is me, just tell me how falling flat” is what she sings in the first and I’ll please you for free. Tell me I’m verse of the song, introducing the conflict good, I know I’m bad, lies make me feel that will continue throughout the rest. “No, fine although I am sad.” Here she explains not again, a loser I am, I love you tonight, how she is emotionally vacant and, through you are my knight, cure and assure to make this emotional vacancy, she feels no me feel alright, tomorrow you’ll find I’m not obligation to this man or any other. “Just tell around, but don’t be uptight cause I loved me how and I’ll please you for free” you last night.” The pre-chorus and chorus suggests that she knows how to keep this begin the next major transition lyrically, in mostly physical relationship continuing to which she describes a complex, conflicting her personal advantage, by offering up relationship she is having with a man that herself bodily to the man to avoid could possibly be more physical than conversing about her obvious emotional emotional as she mentions that “tomorrow emptiness towards the other half of the you’ll find I’m not around, but don’t be pairing. This song ends by fading out to the uptight cause I loved you last night.” With circus-type tune played in the intro. the pre-chorus lines “no not again, a loser I “Happy Meal II” begins with a soft- am,” she suggests that this situation has toned synthesizer that introduces a space- previously happened to her, but this also like feeling as the melody soon follows, suggests that she feels guilty. The guilt to sung at a very low volume. “Arrange my which she refers is in the first lines of the books, in order, make up some nice stories verse: “No not again, oh what a man, just to amuse you, make things look smart, and who I thought that I wanted to have.” This easy, shape up the place.” This line finishes points to her realization early on that this just before the drums, guitar, and bass build man is not the person with whom she up in unison during the pre-chorus: “Hungry thought she would be happy. Although she for the meeting, the dinner we’ll be eating, expresses her dislike for being with this man, wine that we’ll be drinking, and kinky she continues their relationship, which only thoughts I’m thinking, all because of you.” serves to increase her sense of guilt. The lyrics thus far begin to suggest feelings Her reasoning for continuing the of excitement again as she describes relationship is expressed in the first few entertaining a new love interest with stories chorus lines. “I love you tonight, you are my and shows thoughts of anticipating the next knight, cure and assure and make me feel meeting. There is also a new found source of alright.” The tune floats, ascending and physical pleasure, increased here because it descending, to give an eerie, uneasy feeling complements emotional connection. With that simultaneously explains her dependency this new potential love interest, she The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 2, March 2018 84 describes her hoped-for interaction with the self-awareness in the first verse as she lyrics “the dinner we’ll be eating, wine that admits to self-glorification. The pre-chorus we’ll be drinking, and kinky thoughts I’m follows the first verse nicely as acoustic thinking, all because of you.” She explains guitars and drums fill the space with an in the chorus that this fling turned assortment of hits on the toms. “And the relationship has more value to her than prior hero never dies, if the lover hides between pairings as she sings “and now I’ve found a the sheets, there’s no escape cause you can’t partner, no one can be happier than I am, sleep, and then you’ll see, you’re just like and now I’ve found a new friend, no one can me” is sung over the pre-chorus as Persson be happier than me.” The music has a sings, describing how she is thinking about pleasantly slow tempo and grooves with her life in third person and begins to grace as the instruments ring out at the end understand that her emotions stem from of the chorus before returning to the soft feelings felt by everyone, a sort of universal verses. The uplift musically in the pre- déjà vu, and feels trapped since she is unable chorus brings delight, while the minors in to escape from her own thoughts. the chorus give a further demonstration of The chorus bleeds out of the pre-chorus the band’s talent. The minor notes played in in major chords with glee with the lyrics the chorus also somehow bring out a cheery “that’s what you called waste of time, I’ll be feeling as the melody is sung with a sort of waiting down the line, that’s what you called conviction as she declares, “No one can be waste of time, waiting for your valentine, happier than me.” Her tone is best described that’s what you called waste of time, I know as relaxed and happy, further explained in where your hero hides, that’s why you don’t the second verse as she sings “prepare a sleep tonight, that’s what I call life” which meal, with candles, sweet wine and strings describes how she is able to assess some of chosen for the purpose, then take a bath, the things she said in her past and with bubbles, shape up my face” which understands some of the hypocrisy that came suggests that she is in a pleasant mindset and with those statements.
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