Pelle Carlberg
In A Nutshell
Twentyseven Records
By Mike Randall
Perhaps America has had its fill of Swedish pop stars for a while. I can’t think of any other reason Pelle Carlberg hasn’t received the same fanfare and critical praise in the United States as Peter Bjorn and John and some of his other countrymen have experienced recently. Carlberg’s second solo release, In a Nutshell, finds the former Edson frontman just as musically charismatic as any of the Swede bands that have seen success here.
Accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Henrik Nilsson, Carlberg is much more straightforward and traditional than PB&J, preferring to remain closer to the Rickenbacker/Byrds folk sound than entering any overtly adventurous sonic ground. Still, the plethora of hooks, hand claps and “na na na na na’s” will leave this record spinning in your brain for days; just try to wipe the smile off your face after listening to the irresistible duet, “I Love You, You Imbecile,” with the line ‘I love all the stupid things you do.’ Witty titles like “Clever Girls Like Clever Boys Much More Than Clever Boys Like Clever Girls,” “Showercream and Onions” and the waltz-y “Even a Broken Clock is Right Twice a Day” come off as whimsical instead of cheesy, thanks in part to Carlberg’s Thom Yorke-inspired skill to turn a single unrecognizable word into its own melody passage.
While songs with Beach Boys-esque backing vocals about an encounter and obsession with Smiths drummer Mike Joyce (“I Touched You at the Sound Check”) are pure-pop magic, Carlberg takes the Swedish tradition of melding together a conglomeration of influences a little to literally, as he borrows a title from Stevie Wonder (“I Just Called to Say I Love You”); a “Friday I’m in Love” reference from The Cure (again, “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” which it must be added also features the excellent line, “If I ever get happy my songs will start to suck/But if I ever get happy I won’t give a fuck.”); and recycles Frampton’s “Do you feel the way I do” line (the otherwise excellent “Middleclass Kid”). Nonetheless, Carlberg proves he doesn’t have to be clever to be effective, as the gorgeous classical instrumental title track is just waiting to be picked up by a film and the slow ode to slacking off, “Why Put Off Today What You Can Do Tomorrow,” is sensibly brilliant.
The pipeline into the United States from Stockholm has been especially crowded of late, meaning more and more Swedes are trying to breakthrough here. While Americans can’t be expected to welcome every import with open arms, we might want to extend a cordial hello to Pelle Carlberg. Who knows? Maybe he’ll bring some meatballs.
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