If it suceeds once, and suceeds twice, why not a third time? That could very well be the motto of Sweden's Sonic Dream Collective on their debut album, Gravity, which seems to take its cue from their fellow homelanders Abba and Ace of Base.
The three piece band, featuring Linn Engstrom on lead vocals, pulls out all the tricks which helped those two groups soar to the top of the European charts. Engstrom's voice echoes reminiscent of Abba's Frida Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskog can be heard, while the music knocks off some of Ace of Base's biggest hits; "I Wonder Why" owes a few nods to AoB's "The Sign", and the reggae-tinged "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" might make a few people hum along to "All That She Wants". There's no shortage of potential happy house hits here; "Oh Baby All", the title track, "Happy Tune", and the dead ringer for Agnetha and Frida "I'm Alive", all could hit home with listeners.
Throughout all this, however, there are two tracks which completely eschew the effective - but predictable - Abba/Ace of Base formula. Both songs are acoustic numbers, and prove that a band based in dance music can play an instrument other than the keyboards. "Take Me Back", the key cut on this disc, has Engstrom sounding like Jewel in a folky cabaret bar, and the acoustical reinterpretation of "Oh Baby All" would do well under the MTV Unplugged cameras.
If Ace of Base doesn't float your boat, and Abba's "Name of the Game" and "One Of Us" don't ring familiar, it might be best to let Gravity float on by. And while Sweden's latest export may not be setting any records for originality, Sonic Dream Collective will keep dance fans happy on Gravity - and maybe even a couple Jewel fans as well.
