Tom Petersson - Tom Petersson and Another Language

Enigma Records

In 1984, four years after his departure from Cheap Trick, Tom Petersson formed the extremely short lived band, Another Language, and released his first and only solo EP. 

The EP was released in the same year as albums by bands like .38 Special, The Cars, The Smiths, and Culture Club, and you certainly can tell. But it isn't the production that takes away from the EP, no, instead it is the lyrics and vocal performances that make the songs less then subpar when compared to Petersson's work with Cheap Trick.

The first song, titled "Lose Your Mind", sounds promising intially with a good set of opening notes, but that hope is snuffed the moment Dagmar Petersson starts singing. Her voice reaches a high end that can be anything from boring to annoying, and lacks any distinct emotion. In addition, there are odd moments of talk-singing where the singer discusses how she wants the subject of her desires to lose their mind in an attempt to sound sensual but what comes off as unsettling. Coupled with repetitive lyrics and a slightly dated sounding drum part, the saving grace is the all too short guitar solo.

The second song, "All I Need", is not much of an improvement from the first one. In fact, it might even be a step down. The opening riff of the song is close to that of any A Flock of Seagulls song, and again features Dagmar Petersson singing at a pitch comparable to Olivia Newton-John's vocals from the Grease musical. Tom Petersson joins in on the chorus, which would've been an improvement had the lyrics not been so cringeworthy and if Dagmar's pitch wasn't so high. There is yet another talking section, which is somehow more uncomfortable and unsexy then the one on "Lose Your Mind". 

Following that, the song simply titled "My Car", opens with a surprisingly catchy and very good guitar part, and does feature a bit more of Tom's vocals, though his voice comes off as formal and restrained. Dagmar is still delivering vocals, though on this song in particular she is singing so high that whatever she is saying has become unintelligible. Compared to Dagmar, Tom's vocals are underwhelming. The lyrics are confusing at best and are seemingly about getting lucky (or, at least hoping to get lucky) after showing off a car to a girl in the street, continuing the trend of mildly uncomfortable songs. 

The immediate follow-up is an instrumental reprise of "My Car", which certainly is an interesting choice for inclusion. As you would expect, it is sparse and more worn out then before, like it's been consumed by sluggishness. There isn't any real reason to include this song other then to operate as filler, but at least we get a break from the painful singing. 

The opening of "Living in Another World", high-pitched rhythmic acapella vocals is certainly the most dated part of this entire EP. After a painful twenty seconds, a guitar part reminiscent of a Depech Mode or early Bowie record comes in before being joined by Petersson's bass to create a dramatic atmosphere. Dagmar's vocals are much lower and more tolerable then on the previous songs, and she adds an uninspired feeling that fits perfectly well with the melodrama of the instrumentation and simple, straight-forward lyrics, though it does begin to drag in the last minute. 

Finally, we have reached the sixth and final song of the EP. "Rainy Day" is easily the best song on the record, and it works greatly as a closer. The melancholic lyrics go wonderfully with the beautiful, hazy guitar part, though Dagmar's voice does take the seriousness down a bit. It would've been nice if Petersson had done a rendition of this song with Cheap Trick once he rejoined the band. 

In conclusion, while Tom Petersson and Another Language is a decent solo effort, it is also an effort to listen to. Whatever achievements can be awarded to the instrumentation, production and lyrics are overshadowed by the abysmal vocal performances that range from flat to boring to grating. While the EP certainly isn't the worst thing in the world, if you want to hear Tom Petersson at his best, just go listen to Cheap Trick. 

Rating: 2.5/5