The Legends

Perpetual reinvention seems to be the driving force behind Johan Angergård’s project, the Legends. It was just two years ago that he and his band were producing ’60s pop-inspired delights. Then last year he turned the Legends into a one-man show and skipped ahead two decades for a gloomy album filled with nods to the Cure and New Order. Facts and Figures finds the Swedish chameleon progressing yet again, only a couple of years this time, into a full-on synth pop act. Again Angergård flexes his skills for adapting to another style, while maintaining those syrupy sweet lyrics he leaving as a calling card. Unlike the overflow of ’80s revivalist acts out there currently spoiling the electronic pop trade, he’s got the chops to thrive. As with Public Radio, it’s difficult at first to accept another direction without taking some time to digest it. There is a lot of cheese sprinkled on this recording, most of which is concentrated on the silly "Disco Sucks” — but even that song’s pseudo-rapping is humorous good fun. Angergård certainly puts in the hours of research and experimentation to capture his goal. Single "Lucky Star” may not be a Madonna cover, but it could have been, considering how closely it emulates that era. Though not the best effort put forward by the Legends, it’s exciting to follow Angergård’s path and guess where he’s going to take his next record.