Phases & Stages

The Perishers

Let There Be Morning (Nettwerk)

Four decades' worth of new waves haven't extinguished America's torrid romance with UK pop, but for at least half that time, only the Shocking Blue and ABBA planted the Scandinavian flag on chart mountain. Swedish foursome the Perishers blame the language barrier. A Nick Cave piano intro straight off The Boatman's Call opens on a lovelorn Ola Klüft taking pity on nine-to-fivers from under his woolen security blanket of sadness on debut Let There Be Morning's best (only?) track, "Weekends," already slated for Rhino's Old Wave Hits of the 'OOs series. Klüft, group poet and primary songwriter, is adept enough with English to sound English, but his lyrics betray his midlevel linguistic proficiency; they play like phone calls in their simple, declarative mope. Simple's optimum for hooks, however, and Morning's guitars give off just the right amount of firelight ("My Heart"). "Going Out," like the last dozen Goo Goo Dolls singles, sounds like Smooth Yazz, while Sara Isaksson's duet with Klüft on "Pills" approaches the mid-Nineties genericizing of Kate Bush. As simple and dopey as Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, only sleepier, Let There Be Morning is an angstless denial that it's dawn as you hide under the comforter ("Trouble Sleeping").