The Sign Album Review

The 1990's, in terms of music, is generally laughed at by the current generation for whatever reason. It really confuses me as to why this happens because some of my favorite albums of all time came out during this decade. And one thing that the 90's was fantastic for, it was dance/pop music. When Ace of Base blasted onto the scene in 93' with their debut album The Sign, it made an already great year even better. The more I think about it, 1993 was an amazing year for music for a lot of genres, with Nirvana releasing the critically acclaimed In Utero and the Smashing Pumpkins releasing Siamese Dream. But a lot of music fans have probably heard of both Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, which is why (among other reasons) I chose The Sign this week over the latter two.

The Sign was the first and only major hit for Ace of Base. Which is interesting because unlike other one hit wonders who only have one great song to their name, this album is jam packed with amazing singles and filler tracks alike. Surprisingly good writing for a dance album. And although it sticks to a very stiff formula, it really doesn't need to change it up to remain entertaining. And for some reason, the tracks never feel repetitive, so its easy to listen all the way through.

First off we have All That She Wants, the first single and track on the album, and boy what a way to kick off an album! One of the major problems dance music seems to have is the lyrical quality. While this single doesn't hold the quality of the Beatles or some other extremely popular songwriters, the lyrics remain fresh and interesting enough that they don't detract from the musical content. But the lyrics are a small portion of dance music. And I am happy to report that this single is a fantastic synth pop dance tune that has a very hilly feeling to it. It is a true Beach Tune, a song that I could see myself singing along to while lying out in the sun. It accomplishes this by utilizing a soft electric drum kit, easy going mono synthesizers, and even some synthesized horns hear and there. This track was the perfect one to open the album with as it eases you into it without rushing things.

For the second single, we have Don't Turn Around. Similar to the previous track, this one has a very cool atmosphere, making for another very melodic sounding single. It makes great use of synths, captivating beats and once again, an infectious melody. Not much else can be said other than it continues the strong momentum as the album moves along.

Now for the big one, the third single, The Sign. I believe that this is one of the greatest 90's dance singles ever. It gets everything right, fantastic melody, easy simple lyrics, and unbelievable songwriting. It is structured perfectly in terms of a dance track. it quickly gets to the chorus and moves at a steady pace. All of these things mixed together leaves the listener unable to sit still. And just the cheeky sounding nature of the track will leave the melody in you're head for days.

The forth and final single, Happy Nations, gives a nice change of pace for the latter portion of the album. While the musically it really does not evolve much from the previous singles (aside from making it even more melodic) the lyrics are what really make this one for me. Adding Swedish in the verses builds onto the oppressive atmosphere in the song, which is an interesting turn for a dance album to take. In short, this track helps close the album on a quite, mysterious and almost chilling note.

In my opinion there are no filler tracks on this one, in my opinion every one of these tracks could have been able to be released as singles. All following a pretty linear formula, yet in their own ways they are different enough to keep you listening throughout the entire album. There isn't anything new about the filler tracks that I haven't really mentioned already, but lets just say that this is an easy album to listen to all the way through.

Basically, this release is one of the best dance/pop albums out there. It has fantastic writing, substantially good lyrics, and catchy melodies on nearly all its tracks. Because of the reasons mentioned, it is an easy sell to any dance/pop fan, however if you aren't it might be a little more difficult. Regardless I do believe everyone should at least give it a listen, if for no other reason then to look into a decade which helped popularize the current pop scene.

    FINAL VERDICT
8/10 
(Great)