Karin Dreijer Andersson has stated many times that her solo material as Fever Ray has to be seen as a work in progress which, in the end, will form a complete view of what she wants from it - something she has mentioned was still not entirely known. Judging from what we have so far, we're in for something really special. The amazing video for "If I Had A Heart" was the first approach to this particular universe, then came the second and also amazing clip for "When I Grow Up" (see below) and now the album. It's inevitable to see "Fever Ray" as some sort of follow-up to "Silent Shout", the latest album from The Knife, the main project she maintains with her brother Olof Dreijer. But there are some huge differences, which are mainly due to the fact that this time, being a solo work, things get much more personal. This reflects in the songs mood, which can be seen as what would happen if The Knife started applying their unique twisted universe to folk music. The result would probably be a collection of bare stripped-down songs with altered voices, spooky keyboards and a mysterious atmosphere throughout, and that's exactly what we get in "Fever Ray". Also not to be ignored is the almost impossible feature of managing to keep the dark atmospheres of The Knife while writing songs that seem much more intimate, minimal and, ultimately, focused. As if the scary thoughts and images (and believe me, they are still here, although much more silent and subtle) were now coming from the inside instead of the exterior. Ah, the beauty of opening our heart to the world... (8,5/10)
Fever Ray - When I Grow Up (video)
Official site
MySpace page
No comments:
Post a Comment