Whatever happened to the Age of Aquarius? Like a delicious trip into Candy Land, I’m from Barcelona welcome us into their lyrical embrace with synthesized choral pop and a big hug from the Swedes. The collection of 29 friends is headed up by singer/songwriter Emanuel Lundgren, who – with his bright red hair, hippie grin and reassuring monotone – transports us listeners to a better place. And where would that be? The vacation town of Barcelona, where postage is worth celebrating (“”Collection of Stamps””) and we can hit the snooze button every morning (“”Oversleeping””).
The best moments of Let Me Introduce My Friends happen when every member of the group joins in, combining the rise and fall of voices into chipper harmonies – the choir belts out “”It’s my favorite song!”” while Lundgren happily narrates, “”This will be my favorite album,”” then beckons us to climb in and take our place in the stands with lines like “”I have built a tree house/ It’s a you-and-me house.”” In its 38-minute run, the album never becomes too self-indulgent or lofty in its free-love endeavors, tackling the mundane with whimsical fancy and a banjo.