Club 8 has always been a group disposed to incorporating a plethora of influences into its lush arrangements, but with The People’s Record, the band heads closer in the direction of tropicália, a genre which it had previously only hinted at over the course of its six-album career thus far.

This suits the band’s sound just fine, resulting in an exuberant affair that is sure to be the soundtrack to many a summer vacation.

The Swedish duo, comprised of singer Karolina Komstedt and Labrador Records owner Johan Angergård, follow up on 2007’s wintry, often melancholy, thoroughly beautiful
The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Dreaming with this summery, energetic mixture of tribal drums, flutes and maracas and Komstedt’s signature breezy vocals.

The album feels more cohesive and unified than past efforts, where tracks with a Motown vibe were plopped down next to acoustic folk tunes and jangly pop cuts.

Album opener “Western Hospitality” blends seamlessly into the Caribbean-influenced “Isn’t That Great?” and an Afro-pop sensibility that would put Vampire Weekend to shame provides a common aural thread that runs through the album’s 10 tracks.

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