Together with Ebba Grön, KSMB were the only Swedish punk rockers to become a big mainstream phenomenon, and since both their debut albums were recorded the same year, a comparison is inevitable. Unfortunately for KSMB, the only thing to really speak in their favor is that they were more punk in the sense that they were slightly faster and sang worse. Their best songs, like the political "Smygfascist," also show a high singalong factor, something KSMB would develop further when they, for good or bad, became something of a punk-pop band. But the band was never hardcore, and even on this early album the melodies are somewhat poppy. Less favorable for KSMB is the lyrics, and where Ebba Grön managed everything from heavy rock to ballads, KSMB should have stayed away from slow songs at any cost. The piano ballad "Bara Ett Minne" is one of the most embarrassing attempts at sentimentality ever heard from a band of 17-year-old punk rockers. No, there may not be very many other examples, but maybe the result can be imagined. KSMB was better when they stressed their comic side, something they do a lot on this album, and though they may not send you to the floor laughing, at least this is something that Ebba Grön didn't do better, or actually didn't try at all. KSMB does have a reputation of not releasing any good albums, contrasted by their good reputation as a live act, but in spite of all its flaws, this may be their best. And to hear the album as it was recorded -- as the songs from it can be heard on the collection Sardjentpepper -- pitch it down a little. It helps.
© Lars Lovén /TiVo