The Cardigans burst out of Sweden with some of the finest, sweetest pop-rock of the mid-'90s. But underneath that sugary coating sits an overwhelming sense of melancholy, even on the seemingly sanguine "Lovefool", in which Nina Persson coyly laments an unrequited love over bopping rhythms and a glimmering guitar. These dark inclinations seeped into the band's music too, with the electro-rock sizzle of "My Favourite Game" and the ghostly guitar of "Hanging Around" eventually leading them to explore country music's softer—and sadder—side in "You're the Storm".