Bo Sundström "Det kanske händer" (2021)

Det kanske händer

release date: Feb. 19, 2021

format: vinyl / cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]

producer: Jonas Kullhammar

label: Columbia / Sony Music - nationality: Sweden

3rd solo album by Bo Sundström and the follow-up to his acclaimed 2018 vocal jazz album Mitt dumma jag - svensk jazz is much of a second coming to an established formula. The title track ['It Might Happen'] is a free translation of "It Could Happen to You" written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. It's all predominantly old vocal jazz classics in new arrangements with translated lyrics to a common tone to make one coherent whole of originals covering a wider range of genres and styles, and once again, it's a sheer pleasure to listen to Sundström and his hand-picked backing band. One original track by Sundström has also found its way to another mighty fine acchievement, and in this outing, I think Sundström acchieves more at a time when Bo Kaspers Orkester appears to have lost some steam. We only have to see if he will take some of this new-found success back to the band playground and perhaps introduce us to a full circle with BKO returning to bolder jazz influence. I for one, would like to see that instead of a band who appears too eager to follow contemporary patterns. But that aside, there's an ocean of classic folk, standards and vocal jazz songs to rewrite, re-arrange and to release as future solo albums, and I'm pretty convinced there will be a growing audience for this 'cause Sundström just seems to have found his way.

Recommended.

Cassandra Jenkins "My Light, My Destroyer" (2024)

My Light, My Destroyer

release date: Jul. 12, 2024

format: digital (18 x File, FLAC) (Deluxe Edition)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]

producer: Andrew Lappin, Cassandra Jenkins

label: Dead Oceans - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Devotion" (4 / 5) - 2. "Clams Casino" - 3. "Delphinium Blue" (4 / 5) - 5. "Aurora, IL" - 6. "Betelgeuse" (4 / 5) - 7. "Omakase" (4 / 5) - 9. "Petco" - 11. "Tape and Tissue" - 12. "Only One" - *15. "Hailey / Hayley (Only One)" - *17. "Stardust"

* Bonus track on Deluxe Edition

3rd studio album by Cassandra Jenkins following the acclaimed An Overview on Phenomenal Nature (Feb. 2021) and more recently the following release of demos and outtakes released as (An Overview on) An Overview on Phenomenal Nature (Nov. 2021). The standard issue of this new album contains 13 tracks with a total running time of just under 37 minutes. The Deluxe Edition extends the running time to 52 minutes [ find it on bandcamp ]. The title of the album comes from the song "Omakase" and its chorus lines: "My lover - My light - My destroyer - My meteorite".

The album is held in the same original style and tone as her 2021 album. It's therefore made with a distinct sense for sophistication. It's a perfect blend of new age, jazz, indie rock, sophisti-pop, and with delicate use of field recordings. A couple of the bonus tracks are more experimental with bold use of field recordings and less focus on coherency - especially track #17, "Stardust" appears as one long experimental. The album is, however, no less than yet another amazing release. The whole album is meant for attentive listening and it works as a complete work - and more so than a collection of individual songs.

My Light, My Destroyer is one of this year's absolute best albums. For now, it's in my top-3, but I only suspect it to go higher.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Uncut 4,5 / 5, 👍Pitchfork 8,0 / 10, 👍Mojo, The Guardian, Slant 4 / 5 stars ]

Jessica Pratt "Here in the Pitch" (2024)

Here in the Pitch

release date: May 3, 2024

format: digital (9 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,95]

producer: Jessica Pratt & Al Carlson; Peter Mudge; Matt McDermott

label: City Slang - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Life Is" (TV performance) - 2. "Better Hate" (4 / 5) - 3. "World on a String" (4 / 5) - 4. "Get Your Head Out" - 7. "Empires Never Knows" - 9. "The Last Year"

[ Live on KEXP ]

4th studio album by Californian folk artist Jessica Pratt, which follows more than five years after Quiet Signs (Feb. 2019), and just like that this new album counts nine tracks and a total running time of just under 28 minutes.

It's not far from her 2019 album, but that doesn't necessarily mean lesser. Listening to Pratt in 2024 is like being transported on a time machine revisting the 1960s easy listening / baroque pop-period where she could have listened to Phil Spector, The Carpenters, Nick Drake, and / or Stan Getz and João Gilberto. It's... oh so quiet, a bit other-worldly but altogether very relaxing and comforting like a plaid gently swept over your cold legs on a Winter's night. Pratt has a distinct laid-back alto vocal. At times she reminds me of Richard Hawley but mostly she sounds like no one else, and Here in the Pitch is simply Pratt's best album to date, and what a wondrous release that is.

Here in the Pitch is no less than one of this year's absolute best and a highly recommended release.

[ allmusic.com, Under the Radar 4,5 / 5, Pitchfork 8,8 / 10, 👍The Line of Best Fit 4 / 5 stars ]