Pop På Svenska certainly doesn't sound like a first album. This 1993 release (originally issued on Swedish label North of No South) has all of the catchy grooves, tight constructions, and all-around embraceable pop music as their later, English-language albums would show, with the addition of occasionally sweeping string arrangements. Yes, all of these songs are in Swedish; although the band had started out writing songs in English, and resumed doing so on the albums that followed, their first album is in their native language. But this won't be enough to keep most people from enjoying the happy intricacies of
Komeda's upbeat moods, as heard on shining moments like "Ad Fontes" and "Feeling Fine." The band stretches out a bit at the end of the album with a hypnotic, extended jam, "Borgo," right before the quiet album closer. ~ Joslyn Layne