Swedish singer/songwriter Pelle Carlberg of Edson fame has returned with his second solo effort titled In A Nutshell.

The record is a step up for Carlberg since his 2006 effort Everything Now!, and it feels a good deal like the witty indie folk of Belle and Sebastian with a splash of Andrew Bird thrown in for good measure.

The music is much like the album cover. Although it looks like it came straight of the 1960s, it’s undeniably new. The stylized modern edges make it appealing to a brand new generation, but the formula has been around since before you were born.

The songs titles titillate and instantly bring Morrissey to mind. Titles like “I Love You, You Imbecile,” “I Touched You At The Soundcheck,” “Clever Girls Like Clever Boys Much More Than Clever Boys Like Clever Girls,” and “Crying All the Way To the Pawnshop” are good examples of the lyrical wit found on the album’s 11 tracks.

However, In A Nutshell is not solely about wit. The mid-tempo, acoustic based structures work fantastically well with the off kilter pop songwriting. Handclaps, female backing vocals, bells, piano, harmonica and horns occasionally add flavor and depth, while successfully keeping the record from running together.

A must listen.

Play album in Rhapsody.

Tracklisting:

1. Pamplona
2. I Love You, You Imbecile
3. Crying All the Way to the Pawnshop
4. I Just Called to Say I Love You
5. Why Do Today What You Can Put Off Until Tomorrow?
6. Middleclass Kid
7. I Touched You at the Sound Check
8. Clever Girls Like Clever Boys Much More Than Clever Girls
9. Even a Broken Clock (Is Right Twice a Day)
10. Showercream and Onions
11. In a Nutshell