Soft Machine
Teddy Bears

With Swedens Teddybears, big-beat electro pop is alive and well. Of course, the insanely poppy vibe of "Cobrastyle," with dancehall kingpin Mad Cobra setting up the "my style is the bomb" chorus, is the bands most recognizable episode--boasting and hip-swiveling and carefree. And even though the tune appeared in 2004 on the After the Sunset soundtrack, its vital mood lighting here--setting up the infectious, airy pop of "Yours to Keep," with Neneh Cherry on vocals, and Iggy Pops chugging paean to fashion and poise, "Punkrocker." Oh, it rocks. Only in Sweden could you find an electro-pop band--helmed by a guitarist from garage rock champions the Caesars--inviting Mad Cobra, Cherry, Iggy, and Ebbot Lundberg (from Soundtrack of Our Lives) to consort across 13 tracks. Ear candy in spots, the album is perfect for heavy rotation, melodic and then more melodic. By the way, Iggy and Ebbot sound awesome--elevating the tunes with their distinctive rock yowls and drawing attention to a band thas been toiling away on the fringes for more than a decade. It bumps, it jiggles, and it swirls psych-like. --Andrew Bartlett


1. Intro
2. Different Sound (Feat. Malte)
3. Cobrastyle (Feat. Mad Cobra)
4. Yours To Keep (Feat. Neneh Cherry)
5. Are You Feelin It (Feat. Elephant Man)
6. Black Belt
7. Punkrocker (Feat. Iggy Pop)
8. Ahead Of My Time (Feat. Daddy Boastin)
9. Automatic Lover
10. Magic Kraut
11. Little Stereo (Feat. Daddy Boastin)
12. Riot Going On (Feat. Ebbot Lundberg)
13. Alma