On their fifth album, the Cardigans continue down musical paths few would've predicted based on the bubbly, organ-driven lounge-pop of their first three releases, EMMERDALE, LIFE, and FIRST BAND ON THE MOON. LONG GONE BEFORE DAYLIGHT sees the Swedish ensemble emerging from the rebellious phase of 1998's icy GRAN TURISMO and forging ahead to address love, longing, and loss in more subtle ways.
The leadoff track, "Communication," finds songwriter Peter Svensson and vocalist/lyricist Nina Persson giving a nod to the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses." Tinges of American country twang also come through on "Live and Learn," and the single "For What It's Worth." Persson's soft-yet-resolute alto shows off its full force on ballads "Couldn't Care Less," and "Lead Me Into the Night." The songs of DAYLIGHT forgo immediate hooks in order to give their compositions more space to breathe and convey mood, revealing them to have more in common with Persson's 2001 solo project, A Camp (produced by Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous), than previous Cardigans releases. The effect is distinctly cinematic, and patient listeners will be richly rewarded.