Emmerdale

AMG Review of Emmerdale

John Bush
All Music Guide

Though the sky is sunny on the cover, Emmerdale is quite a melancholy affair. First song "Sick & Tired" (the single) hints that all is not well in the Cardigans' camp, and later songs ("Black Letter Day," "After All...," "Cloudy Sky") also capture a depressed mood which conflicts with the mostly upbeat and positive arrangements. Of course, all but two of the original songs were written by a converted metal fan, bassist Magnus Svenignsson. In keeping with that fact, the cover of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" shouldn't surprise anyone, though its clever arrangement and the touching vocals of Nina Persson -- even though she's throwing around Ozzy Osbourne lyrics -- render the song practically unrecognizable. In the end, the battle between positive arrangements and melancholy lyrics creates a wistful mood that suits the Cardigans well.