The Cardigans - First Band On The Moon (Remastered) (1996/2019/2024)

First Band on the Moon is the third album by The Cardigans. The album was a major breakthrough for the band, both in their native Sweden and internationally. When The Cardigans’ infectious brand of indie-fied lounge-pop caught commercial fire in the Fall of 1996 via the irresistibly infectious hit Lovefool, fans who flocked to stores to purchase the band’s third album First Band On The Moon quickly discovered that the album's genius first single was merely the tip of a much larger iceberg. From the first few notes of the cheerfully upbeat album-opening Your New Cuckoo, the band takes listeners on an unforgettable ride.

"For listeners who had caught up with the Cardigans on their breakout album, Life, the group's third album was a confusing pastiche which included several conventional pop songs, but also added tracks with left-field arrangements and some (comparatively) disturbing lyrics. In reality, however, the group had simply returned to the mood and feel of their debut album. On Emmerdale, the melancholy was personal and solitary in nature, but here depression is focused on unfaithful lovers – in both the songs which vocalist Nina Persson helped out with lyrics and those written by the rest of the band ("Choke," "Step on Me," "The Great Divide"). Even the single, "Lovefool," is a depressing lament of unrequited affection, and the presence of another Black Sabbath cover ("Iron Man") certainly isn't an immediate upper. Still, First Band on the Moon is saved by the Cardigans' core strengths: Persson's vocals and Svensson's arrangements." (John Bush, AMG)

Digitally remastered.

Tracklist
01. Your New Cuckoo (3:55)
02. Been It (4:04)
03. Heartbreaker (3:42)
04. Happy Meal II (2:36)
05. Never Recover (3:20)
06. Step on Me (3:53)
07. Lovefool (3:13)
08. Losers (3:17)
09. Iron Man (4:19)
10. Great Divide (3:16)
11. Choke (3:26)