På Hotell / Pa Hotell

Bo Kaspers Orkester's second album goes in the tracks of their debut, but here they are trying to be a little slicker, smarter. That means that the most old-fashioned sounding horns are left out, with the focus shifting slightly towards soul jazz, but always being pop. This is a style Bo Kaspers Orkester has patented, and, like their debut, this album does not really sound like anything else. Both the jazz swing of songs like "Håll Dig Till Den Du Har" and sentimental ballads like "Hon Är Så Söt" are handled in a very competent way. And the coolness of the music and laid-back singing is contrasted against the sometimes tragic, or at least very sentimental, lyrics. But the effect wanted is only partly reached, for if the smoothness and polished surface is one of Bo Kaspers Orkester's strengths, it is also their main weakness. The music can be seen as lacking nerve, or not being "for real," with the sentimentalism of the lyrics mainly having a nostalgic/ironic allure. The slight novelty touch of many of the lyrics can also reinforce such a feeling. But, on the other hand, the music is almost flawless, and that could not in any way be seen as only a drawback. Bo Kaspers Orkester manage very well in capturing the laid-back atmosphere of the music they are building on, and the lyrics are witty and well suited to the melodies. If they could only once try not to be so smart. ~ Lars Lovén, Rovi