And so it happens, yours truly makes a visit to reality and purchases an album that is so smoking hot that it almost burnes. But only almost. Music fans read reviews on this album a few months ago. It feels almost odd to be in the frontline of the music world ...
Frida Hyvönen, born in 1977 in Robertsfors (northern Sweden), released her fifth album this year, To The Soul. She has made four albums under her own name, and one is a collaboration with the photographer Elin Berge that was released as a book with a CD. Personally, I associate Frida with a brittle sounding piano and dark, odd songs. It was probably her first album I heard through videos on TV. But that was before I heard this album, and this is something completely different (and better). I haven't heard the albumes in between.
To The Soul takes the listener on a varied journey - calm and speed, darkness and light, joy and sorrow, humor and seriousness. Many reviewers have described this as more of a pop album than her previous ones, this may be true, but you can't call it a pop album. You would probably call Terrible Dark a pop song, but it's pop with some sort of twist and a sound that gives you the vibes of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. Many songs are on the calm side and many texts feels quite personal. Farmor (Grandmother) is, I suppose, about Frida's late grandmother and it's clear how important the grandmother was to her. I, who earlier in life have spent some time in Bali, of course listened a little extra to the song The Wild Bali Nights. My experience of Bali was that magic mushrooms were a big part of the visitors' time on the island. If Frida sings about such experiences, however, I leave unsaid. But I know what I suspect.
We also hear thoughts about the lack of own children, found love in spite of doubts about this, and Frida often conveys an image of herself as someone who feels she's standing somewhat outside life and what it offers people. She writes a lot about self-doubt, life-doubt and the uncertainty concerning her own person. I'm impressed by the courage to show the world these feelings, as most of us probably try to hide these parts of ourselves.
I rarely resort to analyze and interpret texts, but since I have carefully followed the lyrics as I listened to the album, I can't help it. Usually, I focus mostly on the melodies and the sound when I listen to albumes. And the songs on this album, from this perspective, are really good. There are varied melodies, often travelling on a more calm and soft road although not all are ballads. The album is some sort of mix of Kate Bush, Regina Spector and a few pinches of Kate & Anna McGarrigle, finally, all spiced with some brittleness, darkness and vulnerability. Strings are used here and there on the album which adds to the variety.
I like this album and recommend it. It contains not really any weak tracks or songs with the intention just to fill out time, instead it's quality all way through. It works well as background music when you're doing something else, but it's also an album you can listen to focused in headphones. The quality and variety makes you never loose interest or become bored. The only thing I can complain about is that the inner sleeve is already broken on two sides despite the fact that the album is brand new. The hardware was of better quality in the old times.
The album is recorded in the Benny Andersson's (from ABBA) new studio Rixmixningsverket in Stockholm, Sweden.
It may be mentioned that Frida today mostly lives in Paris and that she is the cousin of the drummer in the band Sahara Hotnights.
So here you are, a swedish pop artist who doesn't give you the mainstream music, but isn't too difficult to enjoy. A perfect balance!
Tracklist
Side A
1. Gas Station 4:29
2. Terrible Dark 4:30
3. The Wild Bali Nights 4:42
4. California 2:03
5. Saying Goodbye 4:54
6. Farmor 6:59
Side B
1. Picking Apples 2:58
2. Hands 4:07
3. Enchanted 3:50
4. Postcard 2:47
5. In Every Crowd 3:56
6. Gold 5:46
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