As part of our coverage of Melodifestivalen 2012, escXtra were lucky enough to gain a copy of Ulrik's album as well as an insight into his own little world! You can read below our views on the album and purchase a copy from CDON here as well as reading our interview with the man himself here!

Sticks and Stones
A lively start to what is a very promising début album. The string section add a superb extra layer to this track which also features a great drum track in the background. Ulrik's voice really suits this song with some very emotive lyrics "You can break my bones with sticks and stones but you can't hold me down. I think it's time I break the rules you make and make some of my own." The electric guitar in the post chorus adds an extra element to the musicality of this track. 4/5 stars, really can't be faulted.

Boys Don't Cry
Definitely a beautiful song with Ulrik's previously higher tone used effectively. This certainly wouldn't hold the same ground if it was to be rerecorded now. This single went gold in Sweden, and could possibly be equally as successful across the continent due to it's slower beat but the arrangement still compliments Ulrik's voice as well as in previous tracks. The "woah-oh-oh-oh boys don't cry, boys don't cry" breakdown towards the final chorus are really superb, especially when it turns acoustic for the final line. 4/5 stars again.

King of our Days
Back to Ulrik's more mature voice now and with a nice poppy intro. This song draws you right in with a simple melody, something that can be learnt and sungback effectively quickly. "Right about now, HEY!" is a very memorable pre-chorus which leads you in to a self-affirming chorus, telling us to take ahold of the day and what we learn in day to day life. 4/5 stars, yet again!

Moments Ago
Another slower track but with even more emotional background than "Boys Don't Cry". Ulrik cries out for his lover to come back to him as he wishes he could return to what he had in the past, which he views as good. The electric guitar in the verse adds a little extra layer to the track and compliments Ulrik's vocals really well. The vocal leading into the final section of the song is incredibly strong. I personally adore the build into the final chorus. 3/5 stars, a nice album track but would maybe not have much of an effect as a single.

Kill for Lies / Je t'ai menti
My favourite track on the album by a mile. Kill for Lies is absolutely amazing. This track stands out a mile. Sure, it may be "another" slow track but the sense of emotion and meaning is conveyed so well that you cannot fault it. The vocal is so impressive, Ulrik's voice makes you feel what he feels. Now, this has been recorded as a duet with Caroline Costa and released in France under the title "Je t'ai menti" (I lied to you). Ulrik's music here really complements Caroline's voice as well as his and the breakdown into the final chorus where Ulrik sings in French is superimpressive, with an accent that is difficult to fault! 5/5 stars. This track would chart highly across Europe as it's in the same vein as other singer-songwriters have produced in the past.

Fake It
Contrasting competely now is a very uptempo beat at the introduction to "Fake It". Ulrik sings about wanting to impress a girl and is caught in two minds about what to do so he decides that "I'm gonna fake it". This track stands out on the album here considering what preceded it. The arrangement of the instruments is nice and, like every other track, complements Ulrik's mature vocal strongly. 3/5 stars.

Auburn Road
Another stand out track for me as Ulrik's mature vocal shines through from the opening line of the track. This track starts with very little backing and this is what makes Ulrik's vocal sound all the more impressive. The chorus shows off the strength and range of his voice and the lyrics are beautiful. "You whispered "please, remember me" down Auburn Road" is very emotive and the lyrics really bring you into the track to believe in Ulrik and his story. Definitely a song that would sell in large volumes. Very like James Morisson in style with more of a tempo and beat to it. The drop of backing into the final chorus is incredible as it builds back up again... brilliant. The alternative title to this track would be "Remember Me" but I have to say the choice of "Auburn Road" is equally as good! 5/5 stars.

The Box
This is nothing like what's come before. A completely different track in arrangement, vocal, verse style... reminds me of Florence and the Machine in its Indie style. The vocal style is equally as similar as Florence's and diverse to the rest of the album. This track stands out for many reasons, not only as there's nothing like it on the album. The chorus lacks something, however, but the "woah-oh-oh-oh" encourage to sing along. The piano accompanying the second verse is really nice and once noticed, adds another dimension to the piece. 4/5 stars.

Heroes in Defeat (Change Your Mind)
Starts acoustic and gains a drum track after a few lines of the verse. This track builds from the start and gains more of a rocky feel as it hits the first chorus. The instruments drop off as the second verse starts and this track feels very innocent considering its lyrical content. A very nice album track which goes well with the rest of the tracks. 2/5 stars.

Life
Ulrik's self-penned song that's been around on the internet for years; he performed this on the radio after his MGP Nordic win. The piano introduction highlights the beauty of this track as Ulrik sings his hallowing lyrics over a string and piano accompaniment. The drums add an awesome dimension to the chorus as Ulrik tells us that we should seize the day and not worry about what may happen in the near future "'cause we only live once". This track really highlights the quality of song that Ulrik can write. When the instruments drop off in the bridge before the final chorus, that's when Ulrik's voice is most beautiful. The violin builds into this final chorus and doesn't take anything away from his vocals and adds to Ulrik's falsetto vocal, which is very impressive. "We will die someday, let's hope it's not today". 5/5 stars.

Born This Way (Bonus Track)
Ulrik's much publicised cover of Born This Way sounds very much like Gaga's Acoustic Country version of the track, not a bad thing at all as it highlights the quality of his voice and guitar playing! A great feature to add to the album considering the coverage that it was given by Perez Hilton on his famous blog. 4/5 stars.

HIDDEN TRACK - The Scarecrow
A supreme hallowing track that starts very effectively with Ulrik's voice vocoded to make it sound more effective. This song is certainly a hallowe'en style track, without doubt! This just sums up what a brilliant album this whole collection of tracks is. Ulrik's ability shines out amazingly in that second chorus "that's what the scarecrow saw"... incredible. 5/5 stars.

Many thanks to Anders Johansson for his assistance!

• By Nathan Waddell on Feb 9, 2012Source: escXtra.com, escXtra, SVT, © Carl-Johan Söder