Robyn "Sexistential" (2026)

Sexistential

udgivet: 27. mar. 2026

format: digital (9 x File, FLAC)

[vurdering: 4 / 5] [3,76]

producer: Klas Åhlund

selskab: Konichiwa - nationalitet: Sverige

Udvalgte numre: 1. "Really Real" - 2. "Dopamine" (4 / 5) - 4. "Sucker for Love" - 6. "Talk to Me" - 8. "Light Up"

9. studiealbum fra svenske Robyn følger hele 7½ år efter albummet Honey (okt. 2018). Tilbage ses Klas Åhlund som medkomponist og producer efter at været fraværende / fravalgt på 2018-udgivelsen - og ellers har Åhlund været med Robyn på alle udgivelser siden det selvbetitlede 4. album fra 2005.

Robyn har lavet en del forskellige albums i årenes løb uden at lyde som andet end... Robyn, og i den kontekst har Åhlund nok en rolle at spille uden det er klart, hvor stor indflydelse han har i det store billede. Albummet er et af de kortere af slagsen med sine blot lidt over 29 minutters totale spilletid fordelt på 9 numre. På den måde minder det i format om de to første udgivelser i "Body Talk"-serien Body Talk Pt. 1 (jun. 2010) og Body Talk Pt. 2 (sep. 2010) uden at dette nye album nogen steder benævnes som et decideret 'Mini-album'. Sådanne format-angivelser er ligesom blevet underligt antikvariske størrelser efter streaming-tjenesternes dominans, hvor spilletid er blevet noget ganske sekundært, mens det primære synes at være at kunne fremvise nye udgivelser.

Udover Åhlund er der som vanligt et mindre sammenrend af medsangskrivere og komponister, hvor det er svært at pege på andre end Åhlund som gennemgående figurer, og på den måde fremstår albummet nok mere som en samling nye numre lavet med forskellige andre, som Åhlund og Robyn så i sidste ende har fået til at fungere som et samlet hele. De to første numre fremstår måske mere som en slags singler, som også er kendetegnet ved at være lavet i samspil med andre kendte kunstnere. "Really Real" er lavet med Jonathan Bates fra amerikanske rockband Mellowdrone - han er også medkomponist på "Sucker for Love" sammen med Svein Berge fra norske Röyksopp, og "Dopamine" er skrevet med hjælp fra britiske Taio Cruz, hvorimod resten af numrene er lavet under medvirken af især svenske kunstnere, sangskrivere og producenter som fx Oscar Holter, Elvira Anderfjärd og så et gensyn med Max Martin (aka Martin Sandberg), som tidligt i Robyns karriere stod bag flere af hendes første store hits.

Resulatet er noget, der i mine ører umiddelbart falder mere i tråd med Body Talk-trilogien end en fortsættelse af Honey, men det er samtidig noget andet - noget nyt. Jeg synes ikke helt vi er på højde med tidligere tiders høje standarder, dertil er der et par helt anonyme numre med, hvilket er for meget, når vi er på så kort spilletid, mens de fremhævede numre alle har særlige kendetegn, der gør det til den temmelig unikke Robyn-musik.

I håb om en gentagelse af flere udgivelser samme år, så er dette dog indtil videre klart anbefalet.

[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The Times 4 / 5, PopMatters, Uncut 3,5 / 5 stjerner ]

Anna Ternheim "Psalmer från sjunde himlen" (2025)

Psalmer från sjunde himlen

udgivet: 17. jan. 2025

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[vurdering: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]

producer: Joakim Berg, Martin Sköld

selskab: Universal - nationalitet: Sverige

Udvalgte numre: 1. "Kom tilbaks" - 2. "Nära dig" (4 / 5) - 3. "Orkanen" - 4. "Hit men inte längre" - 6. "Lämnar alla bakom" - 8. "Kalifornien" - 9. "Sjunde himlen" - 10. "Små mirakel"

[ Promo-video ]

8. studiealbum fra Anna Ternheim, som følger op på albummet A Space for Lost Time fra 2019, byder på noget markant anderledes end det, hun hidtil har udgivet som solist. Den tidligere Kent-frontfigur Joakim Berg er her krediteret som komponist på samtlige numre, og den tidligere Kent-bassist og producer Martin Sköld er ligeledes krediteret som medkomponist på halvdelen af disse ti nye sange. Berg og Ternheim udgør desuden 2/3 af projektbandet Dead People, som gav i 2022 albumdebuterede med We Love - et album, der afspejler en stil, som blander folk-pop og synthpop, hvilket i bund og grund også er det, der møder os på albummet her fra Ternheim. I den forstand markerer det et stort skifte fra hendes mere nøgne folk-udgivelse fra 2019. Berg arbejdede tidligere sammen med Veronica Maggio på hendes Fiender är tråkigt (okt. 2019), hvor Berg var medkomponist på 9 sange, og det er fristende at pege på netop dét album, når man lytter til Psalmer från sjunde himlen. Vokalisten er skiftet ud, men Bergs fingeraftryk er overalt på dette album, og han har virkelig en gave for at kunne skrive melodiske popsange. For at færdiggøre den fristende sammenligning med Maggios soloudgivelse, så er den holdt i mere uptempo synthpop-arrangementer, hvilket på mange måder passer bedre til hendes vokal, hvorimod Ternheim i højere grad fremstår som en sangerinde, der har det med at brillere i de blå toner. Når det er sagt, er albummet bemærkelsesværdigt uptempo sammenlignet med Ternheims øvrige diskografi, og det er samtidig hendes første, som udelukkende er med tekster på svensk.

Alt i alt er albummet et forfriskende nyt træk på Ternheims musikalske sti. Til tider fornemmer jeg referencer til Kents bagkatalog, og visse sange oser af en vis forenklet naivitet - men omvendt er der netop eksplicit tale om "salmer fra den 7. himmel", og det bør ikke komme som et chok for nogen, at det primært indebærer positive melodier. Det er mest af alt bare honning for ører og sind, og i sidste ende føles hele albummet som et frisk pust. Og har vi ikke allesammen brug for det? Psalmer från sjunde himlen hører til blandt Ternheims bedste albums, og det får en varm anbefaling herfra.

[ Aftonbladet.se 4 / 5 stjerner ]

Daniel Norgren "Wooh Dang" (2019)

Wooh Dang

release date: Apr. 19, 2019

format: vinyl / digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]

producer: Daniel Norgren

label: Superpuma / self-released - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 2. "The Flow" - 3. "Dandelion Time" - 4. "The Power" (4 / 5) (live) - 5. "Rolling Rolling Rolling" - 6. "So Glad" - 8. "The Day That´s Just Begun" (live on KEXP)

[ full perfomance on KEXP ]

Studio album by Swedish guitarist and songwriter Daniel Norgren originally released on vinyl and cd on Superpuma Records, and released as digital album via Norgren's bandcamp profile. The album is filed as Norgren's seventh full-length studio album and it follows two studio albums released in 2015: The Green Stone (Oct. 2015) and Alabursy (Apr. 2015). Since then, he has released a US-promotion compilation Skogens frukter (May. 2017) released on vinyl for the American market only.

I only recently knowingly discovered the music by Norgren. I was watching the 2022 Italian film "Le otto montagne" ("The Eight Mountains"), an adaptation by directors Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeerschof of the 2016 novel debut by Paolo Cognetti, and I then made sure to pay attention to the music credits at the end of the film, and there I noticed that Daniel Norgren was credited all music. The music score was a most fitting mesmerising dimension to a beautiful film and it left me curious to check out more about this artist. I then discovered Norgren's bandcamp site - understood he is Swedish, although, I had been convinced it was an American artist - I then purchased several of his digital albums after receiving Wooh Dang, which appears to be his most recent studio album, and one that made me want more. All of his albums, or at least all of his seven full-length studio albums that I have come to know of, seem differently shaped. From his first album out Kerosene Dreams (2006) - an album which for some reason isn't included on his bandcamp site and an album I have come to know of via a major streaming service (and which isn't part of my six purchases) - through to Outskirts (2008) and Horrifying Deatheating Bloodspider (2010), Norgren appears much influenced by especially Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart, and then from Buck (2013), Alabursy and Green Stone, his music influences appear more complex with a stronger country foundation, and they all represent music with bonds to more original blues traditions with a bolder accentuated folk at the base, and then you could also say similar things of his more apparent experimental approach on his later albums.

Wooh Dang is modern indie folk with an experimental touch from someone who must be familiar with bluegrass, roots rock and a whole world of country. In that way, it's hard to pin out other Swedish acts as natural influences when Norgren's touch mostly sounds if shaped through the ages of American outback culture. Daniel Norgren is not only a great songwriter and composer, he also narrates and sings in a highly original tone. You can't always tell where it's going, but the journey, so far, is only a most delightful and pleasant one.

Highly recommended.

👉[ Norgren on bandcamp]

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 the classic "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 a bolder jazz influence and where they began. 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.

Jan Johansson "Jazz på svenska" (1964)

Jazz på svenska

release date: 1964

format: vinyl (2013 reissue) (HELP-030)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,16]

producer: (rec. by Oluf Swembel)

label: Heptagon Records - nationality: Sweden

Studio album by Jan Johansson originally released on Swedish label Megafon is Johansson's third album and it's no less than the best sold Swedish jazz album ever. The album consists Johansson's arrangements of Swedish folk songs, which are characterised by minimalist instrumentation with Johansson on piano accompanied by Georg Ridel on double bass. The abum count twelve compositions with a total playing time of approx. 34 minutes. The 2013 vinyl reissue is based on remastering of the original tape recordings and have been made by Jens and Anders Johansson, who are also founders of Heptagon Records and sons of legendary Jan Johansson.

This album is a must-have in any collection of jazz, and if you think Getz / Gilberto is one of the best jazz albums from '64, you really need to know this one.

Highly recommended.

Anita Lindblom "Sån't är livet" (1961) (single)

Sån't är livet, 7'' single

release date: 1961

format: vinyl (271 201 TF)

[single rate: 4 / 5] [4,12]

producer: ?

label: Fontana - nationality: Sweden

Tracklist: A) "Sån't är livet" (5 / 5) (fan video) - - B) "Det är nå't mysko"

Single release by Anita Lindblom is a cover of a Roy Hamilton 1961 song "You Can Have Her" written by Bill Cook. The Swedish version has lyrics by Stig Rossner (aka Stikkan Anderson), and Lindblom's version was a major hit in all of Scandinavia.

This single was part of my parents' record collection, it's a song I vividly remember from my childhood as a song I have always loved. Not only was the song played on our turntable, but it was and it has been a stable song on national radio ever since the 1960s. It may not be played that often nowadays, but it has status as one of the most played and a highly loved modern standard.

Hamilton's version of the song is fine and strong, and he is one of the many forgotten stars who experienced lesser careers all because Elvis found inspiration in their performances and vocal styles, and he rightfully deserves more recognition. That said, Lindblom's version outshines the original. Her powerful vocal is up there among the greatest, although, she didn't exclusively choose a singing career, but this song more than proves her worth.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Goat "World Music" (2012)

World Music [debut]

release date: Aug. 20, 2012

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: ?

label: Rocket Recordings - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Diarabi" - 2. "Goatman" - 3. "Goathead" - 5. "Golden Dawn" (live) - 7. "Run to Your Mama" (live) - 9. "Det som aldrig förändras / Diarabi"

Studio album debut by Swedish music collective Goat [stylised: GOAT] founded in Gothenburg, and according to the band's bandcamp profile originating from the (Swedish!) village of Korpolombolo, thus implying connections to ancient voodoo cult religion. All members have masked their identity and also perform masked - not unlike The Residents. One of the three 'core' members has been identified as Christian Johansson. Track #1 is a cover credited Malian musician Boubacar Traoré (included on his 1990 debut album Mariama), whereas the remaining compositions are all credited the band.

Musically, World Music represents a huge melting pot of stylistic influences, just as the title indicates with inspiration from various parts of the planet, and then you could add that everything is made with psychedelia at the centre of attention. Some tracks are afro-pop-founded, some are more krautrock-inspired, others reek a certain jazz fusion-feel, but you'll also find hard rock bits and everything is nearly naturally experimental and mostly progressive instrumental, although, some tracks are made with clear vocal harmonies. A fitting description is found on the album site explaining: "The band takes in many influences, from the Afro groove that is central to the album, through to head nodding psych, post-punk, turkish rock, kraut repetition and astral folk."

The album has generally been met by positive words from international critics - only Swedish music magazine Gaffa is more reluctant in its review. Imo, it takes a few spins to get accustomised, but if you happen to enjoy early Zappa / The Mothers of Invention and think a cocktail with 1980s The B-52's sounds like an interesting mix, then GOAT may be what you're looking for. Despite the wide stylistic variations, it actually feels like a musical whole, which is a great accomplishment.

Recommended.

[ The Guardian 5 / 5, Clash, musicOMH, PopMatters 4 / 5, Pitchfork 8,1 / 10, Gaffa.se 3 / 6 stars ]

Bo Sundström "Mitt dumma jag - svensk jazz" (2018)

Mitt dumma jag - svensk jazz

release date: Jan. 26, 2018

format: vinyl / cd

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]

producer: Jonas Kullhammar

label: Columbia / Sony Music / Mr RADAR - nationality: Sweden

Second solo album by lead vocalist Bo (Sigvard) Sundström of Swedish band Bo Kaspers Orkester. His solo debut Skåne was released as early as 2005 and that showed an artist trying out pop ballads with various stylistic influences, but this is something entirely different as indicated in the subtitle "svensk jazz" ['Swedish jazz']. All ten songs are old staples from vocal jazz with new lyrics - mostly by Sundström. The end result is a new take on the world of classic jazz and with lyrics in Swedish combined with Sundström's gift for jazz pop as heard on several albums with his usual band and this turns out as a most welcome album. The subtitle delicately hints as the legendary Swedish jazz album of them all: Jazz på svenska by Jan Johansson, and it's in this light you should listen to Mitt dumma jag. All compositions have been handed Swedish titles - only on the back cover the original titles are added, and it's quality titles like "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Once Upon a Summertime",... "My Foolish Heart", the latter translated to "Mitt dumma jag" (track #5). There's also "Waltz for Debby" translated to "Monicas vals" of course in memory of Monica Zetterlund, who made that song an international hit with Bill Evans, and then there's the end-track "Danny's Dream", originally a 1954 Swedish jazz instrumental by Lars Gullin - here with the addition of lyrics written by contemporary Swedish pop diva Lisa Nilsson.

The album is no less than a truly positive surprise. It's not the jazz pop, as some would expect, neither is it pop / rock-styled but instead genuine contemporary vocal jazz in a Swedish tradition that goes hand in hand with jazz greats of former ages.

Recommended.

Cornelis Vreeswijk "Cornelis' Bästa" (1985)

Cornelis' Bästa, compilation

release date: 1985

format: 2 cd (2010 reissue)

[album rate: 4 / 5]

producer: various

label: DB Records - nationality: Sweden

Best of compilation by Dutch-Swedish troubadour Cornelis Vreeswijk is the only compilation released during his lifetime. The album was originally released as a triple vinyl album on the Norwegian DB label. The album is a mighty fine collection, although, it still feels insufficient. A 2003 2 cd-only compilation with the same title but a different release issued by Metronome appears as a better choice in representing his best material; however, in the case of Vreeswijk with his vast repertoire of songs, any compilation would come out as insufficient but if you only want one album this isn't bad at all.

Vreejswijk deserves this type of recognition, although, his studio albums are preferred over the many compilations. His status as singer / songwriter and a genuine Nordic troubadour puts him on the shelf among the best.

Dead People "We Love" (2022)

We Love [debut]

release date: Nov. 11, 2022

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]

producer: Dead People

label: Universal Music - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Safety Lines" - 2. "River" - 3. "Stay Dead" - 4. "We All Fall" - 5. "Black Hole" - 6. "Life Is Good" - 7. "Kiss This Goodbye"

Studio album debut by this Swedish 'super-group' consisting of the three Swedes, Joakim Berg - former frontman of Kent, Anna Ternheim - alt. folk and singer / songwriter soloist, and Malcolm Pardon, producer, composer and former bassist of British band Kinky Machine, member of Swedish band, Girlsmen, and part of the duo, Roll the Dice. Apparently, this project is one of the many established collaborations that has come about due to COVID-19 restrictions and via networking from a personal home base. Under his own name, Pardon released his ambient and electronic solo album Hello Death in Juli '21. Berg had been writing songs for movies and other artists, and he also launched his first actual solo album Jag fortsätter glömma (May this year), and Ternheim released her most recent album A Space for Lost Time in 2019. As Dead People, the three managed to issue several singles from mid '21 until late '22 without revealing their actual identities. They were known as Mother and Two Sons, and they wrote and composed music for the Netflix film "Black Crab" by Adam Berg (Joakim's brother).

Musically, this sounds like nothing else the three have previously been involved in. Perhaps, Berg comes closest with the synthpop sound of late Kent, but here all songs have vocals by Ternheim with occassional male backing vocals by Pardon, and the music is by the three together. Stylewise it's something you would refer to as light indie pop, and the singles that were released individually from mid-'21 to mid-'22 are all included on the album.

We Love is not new musical territory. In fact, it sounds a bit like a lot of other artists, and with a style of light mainstream pop it doesn't appeal all that much to me, but it's well-executed and nicely produced music. The album contains 10 tracks and has a rather short total running time at just under 35 minutes.

[ 👍Aftonbladet 3 / 5 stars ]

Veronica Maggio "Och som vanligt händer det något hemskt" (2022)

Och som vanligt händer det något hemskt

release date: May 22, 2022

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]

producer: Agrin Rahmani, Simon Hassle

label: Universal - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 2. "Se mig" - 3. "Låt mig gå" - 5. "Varsomhelst / Närsomhelst" - 6. "Höghusdrömmar" - 8. "Förlorat mot världen" - 9. "Var är du?" - 10. "Heaven med dig"

7th studio album by Veronica Maggio following 2½ years after Fiender är tråkigt (Oct. 2019) is once again mainly produced by Rahmani and Hassle. Actually, half of the album (six tracks) with the subtitle Kapitel 1 was released as a 6-track EP as early as Oct. 2021 - this was a first half of the full albums total of 12 tracks but released in the following order: #12, #9, #2, #5, #11, and #8, and as of May 22, the full-length album was issued, though no Kapitel 2 has been released, so if you purchased the EP and only need the remaining tracks, only option is download, or to buy the full album. This is modern and smart marketing! It's almost a natural consequence that Maggio's albums top the Swedish albums chart, but she's not only popular at home, as she in Feb. 2022 reportedly was the first artist to round 1 billion streaming hits for a Swedish-language-only performer.

Then how is the new album from one of the most popular Swedish artists? It's really everything you have come to expect. Maggio goes in the obvious direction. Popularity points and off she goes! Sales numbers are probably glowing hot and live shows will be sold out, but imho, it has become too much of what we've already heard before. As Håkan Steen in the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet commented in May '22: 'she has nearly become too skilled in sounding like herself'. And then this marketing smartness really is an new player. Six tracks were issued half a year earlier as promotion gimmick, which would have been sort of Okay had they released the first half but by picking a different running order makes it bothersome, and then in addition, another four new tracks were released as singles from Mar. to May as small dripples from what was to come, so when the full album finally was released, all but two songs had already been issued. That's smart isn't it?! And not really helpful for fans - and I'm not really the strongest one there, so I just awaited the full album, but still feel fans are not treated well with this bothersome initiative. Anyway, I'm not impressed by this new outing, and frankly, I find it a dull and almost mediocre reproduction of her most recent two albums - perhaps because I normally really enjoy her albums. Even the two highlighted songs "Låt mig gå" and "Var är du?" sound a bit too familiar, and you may think they were part of one of her other albums.

Not her best, but still better than most contemporary pop albums.

[ 👍Aftonbladet 3 / 5 stars ]

Joakim Berg "Jag fortsätter glömma" (2022)

Jag fortsätter glömma [debut]

release date: May 27, 2022

format: digital (11 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]

producer: Joakim Berg

label: Universal Music - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Barn av vår tid" - 2. "Begravningsbål" - 3. "Aniara" - 4. "Låtsasvärlden" - 5. "Legender" - 7. "Var vi kom ifrån" - 9. "4" - 10. "Mer än ingenting"

Studio solo album debut from Kent frontman follows 6 full years after the final album by Kent Då som nu för alltid. Berg has written and composed all music except one track composed with former Kent guitarist Martin Sköld, and the album is also with Berg as only producer.

Musically, he has been engaged with writing and composing music for others but here hecomes out with his own material. Then how is it? Is it Kent material, or something completely different? Well, national critics are a bit divided here - and then, how could it be any different, you may ask. Aftonbladet og Gaffa.se are overwhelmed whereas Expressen with its 3 / 5 stars, which in a way says more being somewhat cheap on stars than the textual review by Anders Dahlbom.

No, it's not new musical terrain, and no, it's not incorporating new guitar or bass riffs, nor is it reflecting anything associated with indie rock, but what it does contain in abundance is Berg's melancholic vocal fronted soft melodic synthpop tapestry. Of course it would hardly make much sense expecting energetic guitar rock or uptempo basslines. How would it then be something new? Berg has moved along, and he showcases his ability with words despite he may be in need of a backing band, or at least someone else to provide the music with new seasoning. Overall, it's better than feared, but not really as good as you may have hoped for. The whole album stays (too) much in the same emmotions and the arrangements appear slightly narrow, but it both contains uptempo chorus-based songs and slower compositions. all aside, it's just a delight to hear Berg's voice again.

[ Aftonbladet 4 / 5, Gaffa 5 / 6, Expressen 3 / 5 stars ]

Thåström "Dom som skiner" (2021)

Dom som skiner

release date: Nov. 12, 2021

format: vinyl (gatefold clear vinyl - LTD.) / digital (9 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,08]

producer: Niklas Hellberg, Sanken Sandqvist, Thåström

label: Razzia Records - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Södra Korset" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Papperstunna väggar" - 3. "Isbergen" - 4. "Stora långa gatan" (4 / 5) - 5. "Toledo" - 6. "Dom du behöver" - 7. "Dom som skiner" - 8. "Gyttjebrottaren" - 9. "Mamma"

10th studio album as soloist from Swedish Thåström following more than four years after the fine Centralmassivet (Sep. 2017) also on Razzia, and also with Niklas Hellberg and Thåström as primary instrumentalists. On this, they are supported by Thåström's stable collaborator Sanken Sandqvist, who already featured on releases by Imperiet back in the late 80s, he took part in Thåström's first two solo albums, and he was co-composer on a some tracks with the experimental Thåström-Hellberg-led project Peace, Love & Pitbulls in the 90s. Sandqvist is here co-composer on a single song but he is like Hellberg and Thåström credited as co-arranger on all nine compositions. Apart from that, the album feature Swedish (sibling-)duo First Aid Kit, who lends vocals on three tracks (#1, #3, and #8) and Titiyo (track #2). Four years is a long time in between releases but that doesn't mean that Thåström has been inactive since 2017. In May 2020 he released the live-album Klockan två på natten, öppet fönster....

Dom som skiner follows nicely on the path laid out with Centralmassivet without sounding like a second chapter. It seems as if Thåström has found his own niche in the alternative rock genre. It's a place where he understands to blend input from various stiles he has previously been touching in cleaner output. He has released albums of hard industrial rock and he has explored electronic music - both in Peace, Love & Pitbulls, as solo artist as well as in the project Sällskapet, and then he has released troubadour-albums focusing more on lyrics, but with his most recent two albums it seems as if he has found an expression that balances lyrics and an original musical output with elements, or just glimpses of industrial rock and electronica. And it functions on a higher level. The album is with its 'only' nine tracks quite traditionally adapted the vinyl format with a total running length of approx. 43 minutes, but what's truly remarkable about the album is, once again, Thåström's gift to write songs with more than just a message, with something to ponder about and still maintain the ability to make highly original and harmony-driven music.

The album is btw. only Thåström's second solo album together with Kärlek är för dom (2009), which doesn't show Thåström himself on the front cover. Here, it's fronted by the modern classic photo "Den vite clownen" [The White Clown] (1978) by Swedish photographer Hans Gedda. Apart from that, the album artwork (back, inside and vinyl labels) are replications of details from works by Danish-Israelian artist Tal R (aka Tal Shlomo Rosenzweig).

Highly recommended.

[ Gaffa.dk 6 / 6, Aftonbladet 4 / 5 stars ]

2021 Favourite releases: 1. Mogwai As the Love Continues - 2. Thåström Dom som skiner - 3. Lisa Gerrard & Jules Maxwell Burn

Anna Ternheim "A Space for Lost Time" (2019)

A Space for Lost Time

release date: Sep. 20, 2019

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: Thom Monahan

label: BMG - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "This Is the One" - 2. "You Belong to Me" - 3. "Everytime We Fall" - 5. "Remember This" - 6. "Lost Times" - 8. "All Because of You"

7th studio album by Swedish singer / songwriter Anna Ternheim following two years after All the Way to Rio (Nov. 2017).

The album comes with ten compositions of which one half are co-composed by Björn Yttling - the rest are exclusively by Ternheim. The album is releatively short in total running time hitting just above 34 minutes. All songs represent a strict folk outing and these songs are generally a more naked collection than some of her previous albums, which have had a slight tendency towards art pop, although, Ternheim strikes me as a songwriter who apparently feels much at home in more simple arrangements and often accompanied with a distinct acoustic guitar, although, she does shine in more complex songs.

A Space of Lost Time comes out as one of Ternheim's absolute best. She hasn't always been able to find her own personal style but here, she succeeds quite well, I think.

Recommended.

Anna von Hausswolff "All Thoughts Fly" (2020)

All Thoughts Fly

udgivet: Sep. 25, 2020

format: digital (7 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,85]

producer: Anna von Hausswolff, Filip Leyman

label: Southern Lord - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Theatre of Nature" - 2. "Dolore di Orsini" - 3. "Sacro Bosco" (officiel video) - 6. "All Thoughts Fly" - 7. "Outside the Gate (for Bruna)"

5th studio album by Swedish organist Anna von Hausswolff, who has now switched to the admirable label Southern Lord. The album follows 2½ years after Dead Magic (Mar. 2018) and it includes seven instrumentals, which have been created in a combination of live recordings and post-production with the addition of electronic instruments. The live element is Anna von Hausswollf on a large (German) baroque organ in Örgryte Nya Kyrka, Gothenburg, and the entire work is based on sensory impressions that von Hausswolff experienced in releation to her visit at the Parco dei Mostri, also named Sacro Bosco (and Villa delle Meraviglie), the remarkable 16th-century Baroque park in Bomarzo, Lazio, Italy, from which the front cover photo was taken with von Hausswolff in the mouth of the meter-high head L'Orco.

It's not an album where you find von Hausswolff looking for new paths - not that she needs to - her music is most original, kept in her well-known experimental, neoclassical darkwave. The simple post-production leaves the music quite bare, where you get a clear sense of the pompous power of the organ. These are progressive compositions that slowly indicate a beauty side by side with a darkness that both evokes a sensation of security but which also may be perceived as gloomy - completely in line with the history of the Baroque garden.

All Thoughts Fly is an almost peerless work and nothing less than Anna von Hauswolff's best to date.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com, SputnikMusic 4,5 / 5, New Noise 5 / 5, 👍Pitchfork 7,7 / 10 stars ]

I Break Horses "Warnings" (2020)

Warnings

release date: May 20, 2020

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]

producer: Maria Lindén

label: Bella Union - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Turn" (4 / 5) - 2. "Silence" - 4. "I'll Be the Death of You" - 6. "The Prophet" (4,5 / 5) - 7. "Neon Lights" - 8. "I Live at Night" - 9. "Baby You Have Travelled for Miles Without Love in Your Eyes" (4 / 5) - 10. "Death Engine"

3rd studio album by I Break Horses as a follow-up to the more than six year old Chiaroscuro (Jan. 2014) is much as usual produced by the band's dynamo, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer Maria Lindén, and it's like the duo's two previous albums released on British label Bella Union.

Six years is a long time between releases in modern popular music culture, but it's the pace of Lindén and percussionist Fredrik Balck who seem in complete control, although part of the explanation for the long wait may have to do with Lindén's perfectionism and the fact that some recordings were lost. The album consists of 12 tracks varying from 1 to 9 minutes and with a total running time of 54 minutes.

Musically, the album lands somewhere in between the first two albums - Hearts from 2011 with its guitar-driven shoegaze and My Bloody Valentine-esque wall of sound versus the more electronic synthpop release from 2014. You'll find energetic uptempo tracks with almost inaudible guitar as background instrumentation, but otherwise it's a more strict synthpop and electropop version of dreampop guided by keyboards, synths, and drum programming, the duo presents here. Lindén is undoubtedly the duo's leading figure - in addition to her vocal contributions, she handles guitar, bass, and keyboards, while Balck, in addition to his part of co-songwriter, apparently is content to contribute as the duo's rhythmic planner.

Warnings has been released to fine reviews, and it's an album that may leave you with a feeling of something ingenious and original pointing back to the best by The Knife, but which also borrows from Cocteau Twins and Radio Dept., but cleverly avoids imitation, because it appears thoroughly new. Lindén doesn't reveal an impressive vocal as some contemporary pop artists, but on Warnings the vocal side is more of a contribution to the tone of dreampop in line with the sound of a synthesiser or the keyboards, and the rhythmic contribution of percussion and drum programming varies from trance-like monotony over more traditional simple rhythm structures to something almost dynamic organic as you would find on albums by The Creatures.

With Warnings, I Break Horses has made a minor masterpiece by balancing the positive energy of their debut with the greater rhythmic complexity of the follow-up. It's a huge musical overview with ties to various styles, which creates rare dynamics, and it's an inviting and captivating sound that deserves all the great reviews. With Warnings the duo has made a most surprising leap to the front of bus.

Highly recommended.

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

2020 Favourite releases: 1. Gorillaz Song Machine, Season One - Strange Timez - 2. Kesi BO4L - 3. I Break Horses Warnings

Alice Boman "Dream On" (2020)

Dream On [debut]
release date: Jan. 17, 2020
format: digital (10 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Patrick Berger
label: PIAS - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 2. "Heart on Fire" (live) - 3. "The More I Cry" - 5. "Don't Forget About Me" - 6. "Everybody Hurts"

Studio album debut by Swedish singer / songwriter Alice (Maria) Boman primarily produced by Patrick Berger. Other producer credits: Fabian Prynn (tracks #4, 6, 9); Tom Malmros (#4, 6); Alice Boman (non-produced, self-recorded track #10).
The album has attracted my attention for its original qualities. Boman draws on some of the same strengths of introspectiveness that you'll find on albums with Chelsea Wolfe, Anna von Hausswolff, Sharon Van Etten, and Lana Del Rey - without further comparison, and completely without plagiarising any of them. The music on Dream On is in a subtler gear and with a delightful absence of pompous sensations, yet, it's still like a ceremonial breeze. There's a simplicity and a lightness, which goes hand in hand with Boman's delicate vocal.
Dream On is more than fine.
[ allmusic.com, Uncut 3,5 / 5, Gaffa.dk 4 / 5 stars ]

other: live on KEXP 2014

Veronica Maggio "Fiender är tråkigt" (2019)

Fiender är tråkigt
release date: Oct. 25, 2019
format: vinyl (pop-up gatefold) (clear vinyl) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Simon Hassle; Agrin Rahmani
label: Universal Music - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Kurt Cobain" - 3. "Tillfälligheter" (live - akustisk live) - 4. "Jag kastar bort mitt liv" (4 / 5) - 6. "Fiender är tråkigt" - 9. "5 minuter"

6th studio album release by Swedish Veronica Maggio following nearly 3½ years after the fine Den första är alltid gratis (May 2016). The first five tracks from the album saw an early pre-release in the form of an ep in Jun. 2019 and four months later the full album was released adding the five final tracks to a release with same title and cover as the ep. This time, Maggio has written nine of the album's ten tracks in colaboration with former Kent lead vocalist Joakim Berg and producer Simon Hassle, and it has definitely rubbed off on the songs. Agrin Rahmani contributes as co-composer on four songs.

Stylistically, the album doesn't offer the huge changes to Maggio's musical universe. As usual, the songs revolve around relationships and the entanglements in what appears as her own social life. Perhaps you'll notice a touch more lightness in the songs compared to earlier ones, but otherwise the album sounds much like the continuation of Den första är alltid gratis. Musically, there is now room for tracks with a simpler synthpop sound that suits the lyrical aspect.

The album is her fourth consecutive since Satan i gatan from 2011 going all the way to the top of the chart in Sweden. As on her 2016 album, some tracks have a slightly uptempo dance pop feel, but otherwise, the impression is that it's now more clean pop-founded than outright electropop à la Robyn.

Three singles have been released from the album - the first single "Kurt Kobain" and later "Tillfälligheter", both of which peaked as number #4 on the national singles chart. The third and final single is "5 minuter" peaking at No. #7 on the same list. In this way, all of Maggio's singles from the same album have found their way into the top-10 singles list, but she has not had a top-1 single hit since "Jag kommer" from 2011. Despite three excellent tracks as singles, it's nevertheless my impression that the clearly best song is track #4, "Jag kastar bort mitt liv", which has a clear uptempo and simple synthpop quality, which with clear persuasion tells us that Joakim Berg, from the (unfortunately) defunct band Kent, is present as songwriter and perhaps also co-composer, as he is credited on several other of the album's songs - the most apparent link to the music and sound by Kent is probably heard on "Jag kaster bort mitt liv".

Overall, this new collection is once again among Maggio's better albums. It sits somewhere in between absolutely banging with something keeping it from full blossom; but this IS also the story of Maggio, who just seems to be almost there in making that truly exceptional album that really hits the mark - that great coherent release without fillers. That said, the album is well above average and compared to her previous releases, it's more than on par with the predecessor, and it's still only her 2011 album that performed better. Maggio has her very own melancholic and fragile vocal that both signals energetic rebellion in small dozes and gentle dewy-eyed sweetness, and when you realise she hasn't made the album of the decade, once again, it's still a pleasant experience listening once more to Swedish-Italian pop of high standard. Imho, this is Maggio's second best album to date.

Recommended.

[ Aftonbladet 3 / 5, Expressen.se (ep review) 4 / 5 stars ] - both in Swedish

The Radio Dept. "I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band" (2019)

L-R: Duncanson & Carlberg

I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band (compilation)

release date: Aug. 23, 2019

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5]

producer: (rec. by Johan Duncanson, Martin Carlberg)

label: Just So! - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Pulling Our Weight" - 3. "I Don't Need Love, I've Got My Band" - 5. "The City Limit" - 6. "This Past Week" - 7. "Deliverance" - 8. "I Don't Like It Like This" - 10. "Let Me Have This"

Compilation album by The Radio Dept. is basically two old EPs re-released as one album. Tracks 1-5 were originally released as the Pulling Our Weight EP, from Nov. 2003, and tracks 6-10 has previously been released as This Past Week EP, in Jan. 2005. The album has now been released on the band's own label Just So! (established in 2018 when they re-issued Pet Grief as their first album).

Well, this is what we get, when all we really want is new studio material from one of Sweden's most fascinating bands. I take it as a statement saying: 'Hey, but we're still around!'

The front cover is the first revealing the two members of Johan Duncanson and Martin Carlberg. Musically, it's quite naturally The Radio Dept. classic with melodic noise pop, indie rock, and shoegaze written all over, and then the two EPs actually fit nicely together, which makes it a most wanted album, despite being old material. It fits nicely as a natural companion to Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 (2011).

The two original EPs:

2003 Pulling Our Weight EP

2005 This Past Week EP

Lisa Ekdahl "More of the Good" (2018)

More of the Good
release date: Nov. 9, 2018
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Mathias Blomdahl
label: Sony Music - nationality: Sweden

10th studio album by Lisa Ekdahl released a 1½ years following När alla vägar leder hem. All songs are written and composed entirely by Ekdahl herself and all songs are with English lyrics. Perhaps the has released this new album also to satisfy her relatively broad international fans coming from English-speaking countries and also more traditional latin jazz-associated countries (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy).
You may prefer her native Swedish songs, but you can't reject that she's a fine vocalist and interpreter of contemporary easy listening and latin jazz, which is what this album contains most of all. I'm not a huge fan of her English lyrics but it really is one of her better attempts with English songs. It does, however, sound much like a huge conglomerate of previously released material and there are no new surprises under the hood. But if you like what works, this is a solid release of well-established themes.