Formed in 1986, the Swedish band Roxette is actually Lead Vocalist Marie Fredriksson and Vocalist/Guitarist Per Gessle. In their thirty years’ spanning career, the duo have released ten studio albums, from the humble beginnings of 1986’s Pearls of Passion to 2016’s relatively return-to-form sound of Good Karma.
The commercial glory of Roxette shone the brightest in the late ’80s on through the early ’90s, when their second and third albums were released, spawning hit singles such as the Heart-inspired balladry of “Listen to Your Heart,” “Dangerous,” and the upbeat, slick, sunny Pop of “The Look,” “Joyride,” and “How Do You Do?” as well as the highly successful non-album single “It Must Have Been Love.” The duo did not falter from releasing new materials and from performing actively in support of every album that they released; however, their career collectively as Roxette halted for a while in the advent of the 2000s, when Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2002. This contributed to their hiatus, taking them ten years before they were able to record and release Charm School, the follow-up to 2001’s Room Service. After Fredriksson’s recuperation, and with a newfound drive, she and Gessle reunited, resulting in 2012’s Travelling. Now, Roxette is soaring again with another fresh, new record, titled Good Karma.
Released on June 3, 2016, Roxette’s tenth studio album opens with the instant favorite “Why Don’tcha?,” echoing the same sonic sensibilities of the duo’s international breakthrough single of 1989, “The Look.” Following next is “It Just Happens,” a sudden shift to Roxette’s flair for sensual balladry. The romantic direction flows smoothly into the mid-tempo Pop Rock title track. A touch of Contemporary EDM glazes the electronic, bass–laden glitter of “This One.” This will fit on a playlist that includes P!nk’s “So What,” Madonna’s “Die Another Day,” and even Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence.”
Roxette then takes the album next into the cinematic territory of the hypnotizing buzz and drone of “You Make It Sound So Simple.” The ensuing “From a Distance” is befitting as the mid-album highlight, resonating the trademark sound of Roxette when the duo are being nostalgic and reflective – undulating melodies, soulful vocals, steady rhythm, and driving beat.
A New Wave/Synthpop enthusiast will certainly fall in love with “Some Other Summer,” whose overall musicality seems to be paying homage to Pet Shop Boys; one of the enduring pioneers of the genre. The poignancy of the piano-led ballad “Why Don’t You Bring Me Flowers?” has the power to prick the hearts of lovers as well as the brokenhearted. The ambient hint of the preceding song seeps into “You Can’t Do This to Me Anymore,” which is another excursion to modernity; it shines well with its incorporation of Rap segments and Progressive elements in the form of off-the-wall change of moods and structure. The penultimate “20 bpm” has a slight dash of Industrial, worthy of a strobe-lit dance floor populated by sweating, gyrating couples. Finally, Roxette appropriately closes Good Karma with a haunting piano ballad, “April Clouds,” which may pass as a perfect swansong of the duo, in case the follow-up arrives after another half a decade or more.
Summing up the sonic characteristics of Roxette’s latest offering, the initiated will certainly hear both the classic and the modern aspects of the duo’s music, blending nostalgia and anticipation – the perfect album to celebrate Roxette’s thirtieth anniversary in the music industry. CrypticRock gives Good Karma 4 out of 5 stars.
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