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Classic Album Review: A Camp | A Camp

The Cardigans singer & the Sparklehorse leader make truly strange bedfellows.

This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):

 


A Camp is essentially a solo project by Nina Persson, the sunny-voiced siren of Swedish sugar-popsters The Cardigans. But if you’re expecting Lovefool, Pt. 2, you’ll be the one fooled.

On this idiosyncratic and eclectic 14-song set, Persson trades in her comfortable sweater for a scratchy assortment of duds from Goodwill. Her fashion consultant? None other than hermetic genius Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse, who produced and helped create these cuts. They make for strange, yet strangely complementary bedfellows — Linkous’s southern gothic melodies and rustic junkhouse style dovetail surprisingly smoothly with Persson’s angelic tones and smooth delivery. There are too many ballads — I’d rather hear a few more tracks like the P.J. Harveyesque Hard As A Stone. But anyone who covers Daniel Johnston (Walking the Cow) and Paul Westerberg (Rock ’N’ Roll Ghost) is right in style in my eyes.

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