Gothenburg, Sweden’s The Tough Alliance (TTA) generated some of the best pop music of the 2000’s and now Eric Berglund, one half of the masterfully creative duo, has rolled out a solo effort that is worth some bat swinging* of its own. Although the eight-song, White Magic, logs a sub 30-minute runtime, it’s packed with same poptacular delights that shone on TTA’s A New Chance (2007).
The short-n-sweet single, “Love and Do What You Will,” captures the essence of the album with its recipe of synth beats, fun-loving claps, blended harmonies, and percussion suggestive of a Caribbean cruise. The charming track “No Mercy” combines classical guitar with the recurring sample of a sword being drawn from its sheath, all in support of lyrics that reference smoking crack, spending the night behind bars, and Hogwarts. I suppose that’s only incriminating for certain British wizards though.
The remaining six tracks don’t stray too far from the mold that served Berglund (and his TTA bandmate, Henning Fürst) so well in the previous decade. However, he does manage to briefly color outside the lines, dabbling with assorted string arrangements, and even covering an old Swedish Christian song for the finale. “Den Blomstertid Nu Kommer,” which he sings in his native language, translates to, “the bloom comes now.” Thank goodness, we’ve been waiting.
*TTA is famous/infamous for swinging baseball bats during their live shows and has been accused of promoting violent behavior and hooliganism. Enjoy the show!
ceo | Love and Do What You Will
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9a_ksDeHbY[/youtube]
ceo | No Mercy
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdnX9OhkeIM[/youtube]
