Anyone who follows Swedish pop will recognise the sounds showcased on Johan Hedberg’s debut. The delicate homemade beats, muted horns, cut and paste samples, and the gentle crooning baritone. Hedberg is one half of Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, an essential reference point for anyone interested in Swedish Indie Pop. Rather brilliantly he also shares his name with the Goalie of NHL Team the Atlanta Thrashers.The story here is that during his downtime from SKWBN, Johan purchased a new computer on an installment plan. As is so often the way, this new equipment spurred on a new productive drive. Hedberg decided to take on a new approach, far from the re-recording and editing of material he would simply make music with “fast production and no turning back”.The five tracks presented as his debut solo work still contain the jaunty rhythms that propel Suburban Kids, but with plenty of Lo-Fi synths and bleeps. ‘Hurra for Fritag fest och Ol’ (which translates as ‘Hooray for Friday and for Beer’, a sentiment I’m sure we can all appreciate), is yet another showcase of Hedberg’s way with a melody, and has probably one of the best ‘scratching’ solo’s in a record ever. Rather than scratching vinyl, it seems he has sampled parrots and crows, pasting the sounds back together to achieve the sound. Sung entirely in Swedish, the dry wit transcends the language barrier. The whole record exudes positivity, and I have no doubt it was as much fun to make as it is to listen to. This is the record I wanted El Guincho’s Alegranza to be. The only real complaint is that at just over 12 minutes long there isn’t enough of it. 82%Johan Hedberg on MySpace