Long Gone Before Daylight

About Long Gone Before Daylight

Long Gone Before Daylight is the fifth studio album by Swedish rock band The Cardigans. Released in Japan on 19 March 2003 and in Europe from 24 March by Stockholm Records, it was their first studio album since the release of Gran Turismo in 1998, during which time band members released numerous solo works under assumed aliases: Peter Svensson issued Paus' sole, self-titled album in 1998. This was followed by the release of the self-titled record from Nina Persson's A Camp in 2001, and bassist Magnus Sveningsson's I Sing Because of You (under the Righteous Boy moniker) in 2002. The album differs from much of the band's earlier work, eschewing the pop and electronic rock sound of previous material in favour of a sparser, alternative rock and country-influenced production. Its lyrical themes are also more mature, with subject matter inspired by domestic abuse, depression, love and fatalism. It received generally positive reviews from music critics upon release, with several reviewers commending it as the band's best album, while praising their compositional work and the change in musical direction. The record was released in the United States on 25 May 2004, and several US publications criticised the band for abandoning their old pop sound, and accused them of being ashamed of their former "happy" pop sound. more »