Vild & Galen

Albumrecension

Two years on from the surprise platinum-selling success of her debut album, Linda Bengtzing once again returned to the Swedish Melodifestivalen to launch the lead single from her second album. Despite stiff competition from bigger names, she reached the grand finals for the third time in three tries, an impressive feat by any standards. The song, "Hur Svårt Kan Det Va?," is yet another slice of infectious pop that Bengtzing knocks out with such gusto it's impossible not to be drawn in. It begins with a verse structure suspiciously similar to Mika's "Grace Kelly" but soon moves in a completely different direction. It lacks the lyrical depth that marked "Jag Ljuger Så Bra" as one of the very best Swedish pop songs of 2006, but nevertheless it's an instant pop classic that shot easily into the Top Five. The album follows the pop/rock stylings of her debut, but displays a marked progression both in its consistency and in Bengtzing's vocal performances, which are considerably more powerful. "Utan Dig," for example, is an intense guitar-driven ballad worthy of Kelly Clarkson, and Bengtzing's heartbroken yet strident delivery puts to rest all memories of her embarrassingly flat performance of her first hit, "Alla Flickor," at Melodifestivalen in 2005. Fans looking for a rerun of that track on this album may be disappointed — this is a much more mature set of songs, but it's all the better for it. At a brisk ten tracks it's a tight, cohesive collection with none of the filler that marked the final third of her debut album. Further highlights include the title track, which is very reminiscent of Nanne Grönvall, and the beautiful ballad "Idag, Imorgon & Igår," but in truth nothing fails to hit the mark. The more subdued tone takes a couple of listens, but every track is worth the effort. As a bonus, her chart-topping duet with Markoolio, "Värsta Schlagern," is tacked on at the end, alongside a somewhat bizarre childhood rendition of Sandra Kim's 1987 Eurovision Song Contest winner "J'Aime la Vie." Further success for Bengtzing seems assured.