Vertigo

Cinnamon's 1997 U.S. debut, The Courier (actually their third album), was on a major label, but the Swedish group was dumped during the merger mania that swept the major labels in 1998. Landing at the small indie March Records (a much better fit for their low-key pop in the first place), Cinnamon made a triumphant return with 2000's Vertigo, an album nearly the equal of its predecessor. Nearly its equal, but otherwise not much like it at all. The breezy, Astrud Gilberto-like acoustic pop of The Courier is largely supplanted here by a more electric, almost danceable sound that recalls St. Etienne's later albums. Even the more subtle songs, like the tender "Did You Think I Would Ever Let You Go?," have more heft in the arrangements, with growling electric organ and more electric guitars beefing things up considerably. Louis Philippe contributes horn and string arrangements in his usual style, which occasionally threaten to overpower the songs, but Frida Diesen's wonderful voice, an inviting soprano, and Jiri Novak's strong melodies stand up to the occasionally overboard orchestrations. There's also a surprising new political content to songs like the matter-of-factly dramatic "A Few Grains of Sand for Working Your Whole Life," which is an improvement over the largely opaque lyrics of The Courier. The acoustic delicacy of that album is missed here, but Vertigo nicely refines Cinnamon's sound in a new and intriguing way.