I laugh more often now

and the question is, was i more alive
then than i am now?
i happily have to disagree;
i laugh more often now, i cry more often now,
i am more me.
- Objects of my affection - Peter, Bjorn and John

The above quoted lyrics are from the first song i heard by Peter, Bjorn and John and what a song it is. When the singer hits the part where he say's I happily have to disagree it sounds like early Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and Joe Jackson all crashing down at once. The music is pure phil spector wall-o-sound making the whole affair just an epic experience (fittingly wrapped with an fuzzy analog bow). The rest of the album has quite the variety of aural delights as well. It is sparse in many spots and overly dense in others. Other era's and sounds that come to mind are New Zealand's Dunedin sound of the early eighties (tall dwarfs, the clean), Britain's postpunk, and 90's power pop.

So now with Bergman, Lukas Moodysson, and Aha we have another reason to rush to the Ikea soiled shores of Sweden. I am told Loney, Dear, The Concretes and I'm from Barcelona are great but I haven't heard enough of these other Swedes to say if there is a scene going on there or not. If Peter, Bjorn and John are the only good one in the lot that is enough for me. I've said it in reference to Band of Horses but these guys care about pop and I can love anyone who cares about lost causes.