Ulf Lundell - Xavante (1994)

Musically Xavante was a step back into a typical singer/songwriter landscape, with much acoustic guitar and harmonica and occasional strings or a piano, but lyrically the album continued what was started on Måne Över Haväng the year before. The themes may have been more stressed on this album, but on the whole they were the same ones that Lundell would use through the rest of the '90s: aging, economic and romantic failure, and sadness over modern society, competently written, but never as sharp as his '70s lyrics. Lundell had not worn out the themes yet -- that would happen a few albums later -- but it is hard not to get the impression that he sounds a little whiny, especially in comparison to the excellently controlled balance of sentimentalism and anger on Måne Över Haväng. Xavante's two biggest hits were "Pigor och Drängar" and "Rått och Romantiskt," but these are actually two of the worst songs from the album. Especially the latter is an uncommonly silly love song, in which the singer's girl begs him to love her in a "raw and romantic" way. Most of the album is much better though, and both the sentimental "Sånt jag vill Minnas" and the almost offensive "Skuld" are among the best songs Lundell wrote during the '90s.