When the A-Teens came out in 2000 with an album full of remakes of
ABBA songs, the quartet of photogenic young Swedes had a nice run up the charts. If anything, the group was a testament to the lasting power of
ABBA's sugary but lush pop music. This time around, instead of blatantly ripping off
ABBA, they choose to emulate the trademark sound of ubiquitous Swedish pop super-producer
Max Martin, who has been responsible for writing and producing hits for
*N Sync,
Britney Spears, and
the Backstreet Boys. Most of the songs on the album are right out of the
Martin handbook, complete with cookie-cutter rhythm tracks and lyrics, and lightweight, electronically enhanced harmonies. ~ Jon Azpiri