The Wannadies - Aquanautic (1992)

From the opening riff on "Everything's True," the first track on the Wannadies' sophomore effort, it's obvious that the band has grown in the two years since their debut LP. The sound, for one, is much louder and guitar-oriented. The strings remain, but they've been pushed behind the powerful, swirling guitar melodies that accentuate this harder-rocking set of power-pop. There's also a very major leap in songwriting from the first album, as this album sounds more like a greatest hits compilation than a sophomore release from a little-known Swedish band. The powerful, punchy "Cherry Man," the Beatles-esque anti-war ballad "Things That I Would Love to Have Undone," and the country-fied pop of "So Happy Now" are among the highlights in this memorable and catchy set. Wall-to-wall eclecticism seems to be the theme here; ballads are situated next to hard rockers, which are next to pure pop songs and even a short classical interlude. This album marked the beginning of the band's climb to success outside of Sweden, and it is also the disc where they found their signature sound.