The Jessica Fletchers deserve some sort of award, I think. Not because they have any sort of uncommon musical aptitude, but simply because their album title perfectly describes the music that's contained within. I realise that's a really corny and lame joke to make, but this is a pretty corny and lame album, so I feel justified.

The band were obviously big fans of whatever wave of the British invasion it was that brought Blur, Oasis and Suede to the world. Their melodies are poppy, the songs are stuffed full of bright, sunny harmonies, and occasional psychedelic moments. The fact that they're from Norway doesn't really show in the music, it's bright sunshine and green fields all the way, with nary a grey cloud or snowy day in sight.

A good indicator of what you can expect from this album is Magic Bar, which has more bubblegum in it than a candystore next to a bubblegum factory. The whole structure of the song is very simple, with everything seemingly being designed to put a smile on the face of the listener. And, I'll admit, it worked its charms on me, I think it would be impossible to listen to this album and be grumpy or sad.

However, for all its exuberance, the album just fails to go the distance. A few songs of no-holds barred sunny pop can be a good thing, but after awhile it just becomes saccharine and sugary. Some press for this album has suggested that this album is actually a bit more restrained than its predecessor, which is a good thing indeed, because listening to anything more sugary than this would probably be akin to being drowned in honey. A bit of thematic variation, even a song with a different tempo about halfway through the album would do this record a world of good.

In the end, the simplistic construction, ditsy lyrics and lack of variety do this band in. It's not that there's anything wrong with the songs, they're all executed quite well, with decent performances and good production. But listening to so many bright pop songs in a row is bound to rot your teeth.