Swedish duo Roxette are Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle. Some 20 years separate today’s Roxette from their initial success in the late 1980s – you may remember songs like: _The Look, Listen to Your Heart _and Dangerous? If not, you’ve probably heard their 1990 contribution to the Pretty Woman soundtrack: It Must Have Been Love. With their easygoing pop style and the substantial mark they made on international charts at the time, comparisons with supergroup Abba were unavoidable. In fact, they’re the second most commercially successful Swedish band after Abba.

Releasing an album of new material in February 2011 must have taken some courage, with immediate comparisons to their previous work inevitable. When you think about it, the demographic who tuned in originally would well and truly have grown up – although I’m sure I did think at 25 I was all grown up! Add to that the fact that any number of musical trends may have taken hold, left behind their influence and changed completely the way we judge what’s contemporary and what’s not..

The question that came to mind before listening was could a pop sensation stand the test of time? 20 years later I’m trying to learn Swedish and when I found out Charm School had been released, was coincidentally listening to Marie’s 1992 solo album Den Ständiga Resan. With lyrics in Swedish, I’d found myself playing it many times, finding it much more contemplative, soulful and sophisticated than I’d expected.

So, what of Roxette in 2011? It’s refreshingly not a disappointment. There are some great tracks here and a maturity, perhaps influenced by Marie’s experience with cancer, which comes to mind when listening to No One Makes it on Her Own. Sure, there’s some pure pop of the old Roxette in tracks like She’s Got Nothing On (But the Radio) and Only When I Dream, but they work without a doubt and don’t sound at all like they’re lost in the late 20th century.

I think the word that comes to mind when trying to place this album in context is ‘respect’ – respect for making an album worth making, one that surprised me and kept me listening. It’s quite a mix, even oddly ‘Beatlesque’ on more than one track – with some of Per’s vocal tones a little ‘1960s England’ in quality. I think one reason the album works so well is the intermingling of, essentially solo, tracks by Marie and Per, with their work as a duo. Whereas before I heard Roxette, I now hear the independent talents of two artists sharing the spotlight, showcasing their mastery of melody and rhythm to create a harmonious texture, supported by considered production and musicians who really know what they’re doing.

From my perspective this is quality work that exceeded any expectation I had of an album produced so long after I’d first heard The Look. If you weren’t around when that album was soaring up the charts, then Charm School may seem a little ‘old school’?

For my money though, Roxette are back on top of their game, showing a little of their individual selves at the same time. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the track I’m listening to now is Sitting on Top of the World or maybe that’s just a local reference for them, the reverse of being Downunder?