ZEIGEIST THE JADE MOTEL ALBUM SPEGEL RELEASE: APRIL 30, 2008 REVIEW: APRIL 16, 2008

I find it hard to explain what has caused me to see past the utter greatness of Zeigeist. I started investigating this Swedish combo after hearing their magnificent reconstruction of Universal Poplab's "I Could Say I'm Sorry" recently. I discovered a sound and an attitude crafted to perfection.

Their clinical pop gem "Black Milk" on 7" vinyl single became my first puzzle piece of what I hope to be a complete and large Zeigeist collection. With a sound gripping both the contemporary and the essence of that golden era 25 or so years ago they are a electropop fan's wet dream. When the female vocalist Princess takes centre stage they create the same eerie electronic pop surroundings so successfully executed by The Knife. The, very important, difference lies in Zeigeist's more direct pop sensibility and their use of sounds so beautiful I could see myself in a relationship with most of them. Crisp and razor sharp bass lines and lead melody lines. Add to this song after song stacked with unbridled pop talent.

"The Jade Motel" may on occasion come across as too mechanical, but at the same time, paired with that brilliant pop song feature, that is what makes the album so fantastic. Kraftwerkian soundscapes through today's electronic forays sparkling under warm melodies and vocals. Twelve almost equally perfect tracks to savour until their next album. Now I need to see their supposedly spectacular stage show soon. Very soon.

NIKLAS FORSBERG