Album of the Month : May 1999
Paus (S): S/T
( RCA/BMG)
This is what happens when two of the most talented Swedish artists - Peter Svensson ( THE CARDIGANS) and Joakim Berg ( KENT) - decide to work together: Not another lo-fi side-project, quickly done, quickly forgotten, not a convenient way to recycle old ideas that didn't fit with their respective bands, but on the contrary a splendid piece of melancholic pop which will definitely stand as one of the year's best debuts.
Although the story doesn't tell who does what in this outstanding collaboration, it is obvious that Svensson and Berg form a real songwriting team. You'd be at a loss to find the slightest hint of KENT or THE CARDIGANS here. This is a truly original and consistent work which, alongside with FAVEZ's "A sad ride on the line again ", provides some of the best songs I've heard lately in this very trendy category of slow-core/ acoustic-oriented/ bittersweet pop.
As Joakim Berg is only involved in the songwriting but does not appear on the album, it's up to PETER SVENSSON to give life to the songs, and he does a truly splendid job. Backed by a band including an upright bass, keyboards, and THE CARDIGANS' drummer, his gentle voice emphasizes those swell tunes with grace and elegance. Some fine licks of pedal-steel and a string quartet occasionally add a touch of sophistication but, fortunately, never interfere with the sheer emotion the music displays.
Since all the lyrics are in Swedish and therefore an international distribution is more than unlikely, let's hope that PAUS will soon follow KENT's example by recording an English version of this wonderful album. Otherwise, it's worth the pain to search for the original one. Stockholm isn't that far, after all.