A sparkling rough-cut gem from those “Jerk It Out” guys
Years before that iPod Shuffle commercial thrust them into the spotlight, Sweden’s Caesars were making a bracing form of rock ’n’ roll rooted in the gritty machismo of such mid-’60s bands as The Animals and Them. If 2002’s 39 Minutes of Bliss—which compiled cuts (including “Jerk It Out”) from The Caesars’ three albums—demonstrated the appeal of their sound, which emphasizes tough-guy harmonies and pumping organ, Paper Tigers extends the stylistic playing field as the band deftly applies its signature elements to stylistically diverse tracks like the oceanic “Spirit,” the shimmering “Winter Song,” the Merseybeati?c “My Heart Is Breaking Down” and the rousing football-match-style anthem “Paper Tigers.” It turns out that “Jerk It Out” (reappearing here in a brightened-up new mix) is just the tip of the iceberg for these savvy Arctic rockers.