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I SING BECAUSE OF YOU
(FUTURE FARMER)
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Righteous Boy is actually bassist Magnus Sveningsson of Sweden’s Cardigans, a man-boy who approximates the emotional distress of Barry Manilow, the clever melodies of Prefab Sprout, and the doe-eyed romanticism of Jimmy Webb. Not that I Sing Because of You is purely derivative or without a pop persona — it’s a sincere pop production that has a classic feel. Sveningsson sings in a ceaseless whisper, the programmed symphonic music swelling around him as he expresses self-dissatisfaction, ennui, and empathy with the Elephant Man. But in misery comes beauty — the beauty of the eloquent "View from a Satellite," and "No More Love," a sputtering dub mix that at times brings to mind 10cc’s "I’m Not in Love." The disc picks up the pace for "Righteous Boy/Righteous Girl," a Eurotrash groover that could easily stand in for a lost Cardigans track. And the glockenspiel-filled "I Made It Hard for You To Love Me" is a gossamer whirligig that carries the softhearted yet poised Sveningsson right off into outer space.
