Friday, August 27, 2010

My Favourite Swedish Albums

Robyn - Robyn

The album that re-introduced Robyn as an independent popstar.  She had a label 'Konichwa Records', that she repped on her intro, and took it's name from a Dave Chappelle skit.  It was obvious she was doing this on her own terms.

The album was a funny, melodic, confident piece of future dance-pop that differentiated Robyn from the cookie-cutter pop queens around her.  From the heart-breaking 'Be Mine' to the defiant 'Handle Me', Robyn always made sure that whilst you were dancing, you were also feeling her on an emotional level. 





The Knife - Silent Shout

Led by the haunting vocals of Karin Dreijer Andersson, the Knife created sound scapes both bracing and beautiful, all the time sounding like nothing elsein music.  Instead of sounding like Karaoke with Techno Music, they made it sound like a hit pop track from 2025.

The title track 'Silent Shout' led the way, sounding like Kompakt had a ghost in their machines.  The combination of vocal-centric and the textural basslines was such a treacherous minefield up to that point, that most acts had not been able to navigate through it.  For The Knife it was no problem.  Each song was fully formed with the sound, with the pulsing beat and wailing vocals meeting gloriously in the middle.







The Hives - Veni Vidi Vicious

The Hives burst out of the blocks at the turn of the century with energetic punk tunes that were both immature and sincere, and funny yet smart.

They had the aesthetics down pat with the matching two tone outfits and their video's were genuinely entertaining.  The tracks worked because they were delivered like punk originally was, with intent, which drove home the emotional impact of the lyrics.



Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala

Jens started out as a modern day troubadour with a penchant for sampling and transformed himself into a fully-fledged musician.  This  album reflected his musical and emotional maturity, and became his most well-received release to date.

His tracks always told an awkwardly sincere story and this album was no exception. 'A Postcard to Nina' talked about pretending to be the boyfriend of a lesbian to appease her judgemental father, and 'Shirin' talks about his Iraqi Hairdresser, who may or may not be an illegal immigrant.  All the talk would be for nought if the music didn't hold up, but it does.  From punchy 60's Chamber Pop tunes to lo-fi disco and the ever present old-school samples, this album had it all. 





Lykke Li - Youth Novels

She seemingly came out of nowhere in 2008.  She had an album produced by Bjorn from Peter, Bjorn and John, a slight voice and some catchy tunes.  Internet buzz pushed her a little further in to the spotlight.

The album itself is a sparse, minimal piece of work, eschewing the 4/4 dance-pop bangers of contemparies Robyn and Little Boots.  Lykkke Li opted for a more intimate sound, which gave her songs (reportedly inspired by an old relationship) more of an emotional wallop.

Songs like 'Dance, Dance, Dance' and 'Im Good, Im Gone' don't blast their way out the blocks, instead luring you in with a purring coo before the hook sucker punches right in the solar plexus.  By that point it's too late to resist, and you're beaming from ear to ear along with her.




The Radio Dept - Clinging to a Scheme

This trio have been around for a while now (15 years), and have managed to stay off the commercial grid for much of that time.  That time together has served them well, as their latest album of lo-fi fuzz-pop would attest.

Their songcraft and emotionally charged vocals are what makes this troupe stand out from their bretheren, and their long career is a testament to their talent.

This album take their staple elements, and applys a brighter, cleaner production to them.  The contrast of the punchy production against the dour, melodramatic lyrics of lead singer Johan Duncanson is a tight-rope that the band never falls off.  Straight-forward and strident, this economical record (it clocks in at 34 mins) is breath of fresh summer air.

No comments: