Swedish export September can best be described as a pale imitation of Lady Gaga, without the quirkiness and with a lot of repetitive electronic accompaniment. Most of the 14 tracks on her self-titled CD can be also be described via simple formula: a strong voice, cyclical synthetic backup music and catchy, sometimes vapid lyrics.
Opening with the song, “Cry For You,” is smart, because it provides the best September has to offer: catchy europop singles to be played at clubs. Unfortunately, the rest of the CD fails to match this early success. For example, the song “My Neighborhood” starts out a cappella, which makes her vocals seem forced and strained. But, as one would expect after listening to the previous four songs, the pulsating, almost nauseating, electronic beats inevitably start up again. The lyrics seem very strange, like they only exist to allow her to sing something in the same key. For example, she sings “How come tomorrow’s the place where everyone should be?/Forget the heat you took/you’ll get the right bits hooked/’Cause where we going the streets will set you free.”
How weird is that? There must be something in the water in Sweden.
The aerobic songs are incredibly repetitive and, after a while, you can’t even tell the songs are changing. The CD does eventually pick up with Looking for Love, which manages to separate itself from the previous filler songs on the album on the strength of its disco-inspired intro and chorus. If only this formula was used to provide her with 14 stand-out songs, rather than a just handful of ringtone-worthy choruses. Seriously, beside each song on the back of the CD is a code you punch in to order the cell tone version.
Unless Swedish euro dance ringtones are one of your aural fantasies, this CD doesn’t quite cut it.
