On Gran Turismo, what once seemed a peripheral flirtation with the bleaker aspects of life moves closer to front and center. The opening song, "Paralyzed," sets the tone with its snaky, trip-hop beat and dreamily seductive vocals. Even on those songs that otherwise cast an upbeat vibe—the dance club ready "Erase/Rewind," the galloping "My Favourite Game"—the band revels in cutting the proceedings with large doses of lyrical foreboding. Typical moments include "Do You Believe," in which Persson asks (and answers) the question: "Do you really think love is gonna save your soul? I don't think so"; and "Marvel Hill," a skeletal contemplation of insatiable desire fueled by a heavy interplay of bass drum and bass guitar.
Though decidedly overcast, Gran Turismo does occasionally offer rays of light. "Explode" is a beautiful electronica ballad that exudes a welcome warmth amidst the chilly motifs, and the ethereal piano composition "Nil" caps the album with a subtle, Eno-esque coda. Moreover, Persson's and Svensson's seemingly effortless feel for hook and melody remains intact. Evidencing steady growth with each album, the Cardigans may one day displace ABBA as the king (or dancing queen) of Sweden's musical exports.
— Russell Hall (Wall Of Sound)
lthough, on the surface, the Cardigans insouciant pop can sometimes seem formulaic, beneath their music's shimmery veneer lies a sophistication that elevates it above standard hit-of-the-month fare. The absurdly catchy "Lovefool" notwithstanding (featured on the band's 1996 album, First Band on the Moon, the song sold about a gazillion copies after it appeared on the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack), the Swedish quartet almost never fires its melodies straight from the hip, preferring instead to imbue them with a subtle irony born of Peter Svensson's brooding arrangements and Nina Persson's delicate, ever-so-slightly detached vocals. Though the group often gets slapped with the '60s retro-pop tag, their early predilection for covering Black Sabbath songs was more than just kitsch exhibitionism.