PELLE CARLBERG In A Nutshell ALBUM REVIEW

Pelle Carlberg comes back with a brilliant sophomore album. In A Nutshell takes Pelle Carlberg’s already mature and solid song writing and takes it further with more fun and air thrilling arrangements. From the upbeat opener “Pamplona,” you can already tell that Pelle Carlberg seems to be a lot more optimistic and cheerful in comparison to his predecessor of songs from Everything Now! This seems to be a new Pelle Carlberg that may have found some light that he was seeking in his first album. With the piano playing and the strings tip toeing and the drums bouncing, “Pamplona” is one hell of an opener. Then right off to “I Love You, You Imbecile” he duets into a completely blissful pop tune.

In A Nutshell is full of songs that are playful and are sung in complete harmonium. Songs like “Clever Girls Like Clever Boys Much More Than Clever Boys Like Clever Girls,” “Crying All the Way To the Pawnshop,” “I Just Called To Say I Love You,” and “Middleclass Kid” will have you humming and snapping your fingers along. But this is not to say that In A Nutshell is all sugar. “Why Do Today What You Can Put Off Until Tomorrow?” would have you brooding seconds into his guitar strums and his echoing vocals being their commentary on “working to live.” “Even a Broken Clock (is Right Twice a Day)” with its airy drum brushes and twinkling xylophone and strings in the background would have you feeling lazy on a Sunday. Pelle Carlberg balances his new album by not leaving it overly cheery and sweet. But in the end you’ll have an uplifting feeling in your chest after you’ve listened through the album.

MP3: “I Love You, You Imbecile“

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | MYSPACE | PURCHASE | LABEL