UNIVERSAL POPLAB UPRISING ALBUM WONDERLAND RELEASE: NOVEMBER 29, 2006 REVIEW: NOVEMBER 28, 2006

The highly skilled engineers of the Poplab have re-joined forces with renewed vigor and a whole batch of freshly molded tech-pop products. Going from a duo to a trio has left little imprint on their uplifting electronic hit pop sound, but has pushed the technical aspects of the recordings to new heights. I suspect third member Hans Olsson is the one with the sophisticated know-how necessary to make an album like "Uprising" sound so good.

Both singles leading up to this album, namely "I Could Say I'm Sorry" and "Heart Apart", tread the path of their first, massively impressive self titled debut album. Insanely infectious and competent club pop focused on the strong vocals of Christer Lundberg and pure chorus power. The same goes for the energetic opener "Soma Generation", the lyrically hilarious "60 Is the new 40" and "The Message", eminating club glee in all its catchy simplicity.

There are no slow numbers close to the greatness of "Dice Roller" or "Any More Than This", but "Black Love Song" still serves its purpose on an album high in tempo. The temporary lapse of "White Night" is... well, temporary as the Swedes manage to keep the momentum going all the way through to the beautiful "New Beginnings". And even though my somewhat exaggerated expectations for "Uprising" were not fully realised, I remain highly enthusiastic, simply because the talent within Universal Poplab is so firmly cemented it can never fade.

NIKLAS FORSBERG