Songwriter, Singer, Producer, Studio owner and Music ambassador from Uppsala, Sweden, Lagge, writes for other artists as well as having a trunk full of unreleased songs. Maybe they’ve been putting something into the water these past few decades, but it seems like ever since ABBA took over the world in the `70s, Sweden has been a hotbed of wildly addictive pop music. The Cardigans, Robyn, Alcazar, Ace of Base, The Hives, Roxette and a host of others have been assaulting the rest of the world’s charts for years.
A little late to the party but still retaining all the trademarks of Swedish indie pop, Lagge combines the same solid songwriting and glossy production talents of his more illustrious colleagues. He delivers the same kind of brain-imprinting pop that gets in your head and refuses to go away.
The slick beats and sparkling production on “Ghost” are par for the course – it’s when Lagge turns his talents in the direction of elegantly simple indie ditties that he reveals himself as more of a legitimate musical experimentation rather than a producers’ vanity project.
“Pavement” bounces along a deceptively catchy progression to a jangly chorus that hits immediate pop pay dirt. Lagge’s chameleonic vocals are a highlight from the beginning, imbuing his lyrics with unassuming cheeriness. Even on a track like “Kylan”, which is sung in his native tongue, Lagge’s expressive vocals never seem to betray a song’s emotion, transforming a piece of immediately accessible pop into a double-sided coin once you understand the lyric sheet.
It’s a trick he pulls of masterfully throughout all of his songs, no matter what the language. Indeed, much of Lagge’s compositions strike at the core of what makes pop music great: the ability to tell stories while making it sound as palatable as possible.
Though Lagge’s clear mission to make light, agreeable pop, there are more than enough songs in his catalog that demand closer attention. From the first bar to the closing notes of each song, the production is excellent, as Lagge gives you a sonic arsenal of beats and colors that guide the overall vibe.
“Ghost” hooks you but then you get overwhelmed with goodness from songs like “Kylan” and “Dimman”. In this aural oeuvre Lagge has unquestionably put together an absolute and completely superb accomplishment – exceptional, extremely high quality music in the vein of the best of what’s out there in the contemporary indie pop genre.
Lagge is certainly an artist worth following, as his raw potential is largely uncharted in an industry that needs artists able to provide easily digestible, universal, but tastefully intelligent pop to the masses. Lagge’s voice is like silky smooth butter mixed with a solid dose of pop, a dash of harmony and a sweet modern sound, which all adds up to more than just the sum of its parts!
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