Swedish band Teddybears has come a long way since their early music endeavors. Forming in the early 90′s as a hardcore punk band, they are now notorious for combining a smorgasbord of genres into their music. They incorporate elements of punk, rock, pop, hip-hop, and reggae into an album, sometimes even into a single track.

Their latest effort, Devil’s Music, could easily be classified as “electro-pop”. The title of the album however pays tribute to the dated notion of rock n’ roll being the music of the Devil, electro-rock anyone? Teddybears demonstrate their aptitude for creating dance anthems with various featured guests on the album. There’s even a touch of psychedelic space rock.

The album opens with “Bukowski”. A spoken-word introduction instructing the listener to “never give them that spark”. “Rocket Science” featuring Eve follows, and kick-starts the first dance anthem installment. It’s catchy, so be warned. “Get Fresh With You” featuring Laza also holds solid dance potential with a reggae twist. The chorus sticks so you’ll most likely be singing along the first time you hear it.

All in all,  the first half of the album is superior to its later half. The standout tracks are without question the ones featuring guest artists. But with such a numerous number of them, it makes you wonder if Devil’s Music would be nearly as successful without them. Others include B.o.B on “Get Mama A House”, ADL on the titled track “Devil’s Music”, Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne on “Crystal Meth Christians”, Robyn on “Cardiac Arrest”, and let’s not forget their current hit single, “Cho Cha” featuring both Cee Lo AND the B-52s. You heard right! Unfortunately, some of these tracks are also the key disappointments.

With Teddybears’ versatility and experience, more is expected from the likes of them. Regardless of that, Devil’s Music has just the right disposition for summer.

Final Words: As Robyn sings, “shake your bone maker”!