The
first non-Concretes release from The Concretes' own
label Licking Fingers... Frida Hyvönen,
by all accounts, is a force to be reckoned with (a
cliché I don't
use lightly here). On her debut album you get 10 tracks
of piano and Frida's intriguing voice and mesmerizing
lyrical charms.
Frida doesn't play it safe, she doesn't
even play nice, alternating between beautiful ballads
such as "N.Y." (what is it with Swedish women
and NYC lately?) and venting her frustrations in "You
Never Got Me Right". Delicate, beautiful songs
+ unchecked emotions + dazzling lyrical performances
= a breathtaking debut.
I like this for the same reasons
I like David Fridlund (lotsa piano) and AK-Momo (enchanting,
slightly accented female vocals), but still this is
an entirely different beast. Produced by The Bear Quartet's
Jari Haapalainen, with guest appearances by Ellekari
Larsson, vocalist for The Tiny and Vega.
"Like a stripped-down take on Kate Bush or Laura
Nyro" says
Rough Trade Shop, while others are sure this is Album
Of The Year material. Turns
out St. Etienne's Bob Stanley is a fan as well: "Like
a Scando Laura Nyro obsessed with Carole Bayer Sager's
You're Moving Out Today. Songs about driving in the snow
and older men with bad manners, all on the piano, yay!"
|
| |
| Past
Picks: |
| Angie |
Jennifer
O'Connor The Color And The Lights |
| Jim |
Moneybrother To
Die Alone |
| Michael |
Dungen Self-Titled+bonus
tracks |
| Geoff |
Various
Yellow Pills: Prefill |
| Roy |
The
Perishers Let There Be Morning |
| Shadie |
The
Antarcticans Self-Titled |
| Geoff |
The
Music Maker Label |
| Michael |
Black
Bonzo Self-Titled |
| Jim |
The
Soundtrack of Our Lives Origin Vol.
1 |
| Michael |
Mars
Volta Frances The Mute |
| Jim |
Dead
Cowboys Twin Evil Stars |
| Michael |
Antony
and the Johnsons I am a bird Now |
| Roy |
Frank
Lenz Conquest Slaughter |
| Geoff |
Teenage
Fanclub Grand Prix |
| Michael |
AK-Momo Return
To N.Y. |
| Michael |
Johan Pergola |
| Angie |
Rilo
Kiley More Adventurous |
| Jim |
Hederos & Hellberg Together
In The Darkness |
| Michael |
Melon
Galia Les Embarras Du Quotidien |
| Roy |
Dinosaur
Jr Green Mind |
| Lisa |
Union
Carbide Productions Remastered To Be Recycled |
| Geoff |
Eccentric
Soul: The Capsoul Label |
| Angie |
Tegan & Sara So
Jealous |
| Jim |
The
Gun Club The Las Vegas Story |
| Bill |
Grifters Crappin'
You Negative |
| Geoff |
Ric
Menck The Ballad of Ric Menck |
| Angie |
Concrete
Blonde Concrete Blonde |
| Bill |
Secret
Machines Now
Here Is Nowhere |
| Roy |
Isis Oceanic |
| Michael |
Marjorie
Fair Self Help Serenade |
| Bill |
Didjits Hornet
Piñata |
| Angie |
Gina
Villalobos Rock N' Roll Pony |
| Geoff |
Honcho
Overload "Singles" |
| Jim |
The
Knife "The
Knife" |
| Roy |
Seam "The
Problem With Me" |
| Michael |
The
Hellacopters "By
the Grace Of God" |
| Jared |
The
13th Floor Elevators "The
Psychedelic Sounds Of..." |
| Bill |
Bettie
Serveert "Palomine" |
| Geoff |
Mojo magazine |
| Angie |
Loretta
Lynn "Van Lear Rose" |
| Roy |
Boy's
Life "Departures & Landfalls" |
| Jim |
V/A "Accelerator" |
| Michael |
Devendra
Banhart "Rejoicing
In The Hands" |
| Jared |
Dead
Kennedys "Plastic
Surgery Disasters" |
| Jim |
KVLR "KVLR" |
| Angie |
Liquorette "When
You Work I Sleep" |
| Roy |
Buffalo
Tom "S/T" |
| Michael |
José González "Veneer" |
| Jared |
Björn
Olsson "S/T
(The Crab)" |
| Michael |
Starsailor "Silence
Is Easy" |
| Jim |
Hip
Whips "Hip
Whips" |
| Bill |
Echo & The
Bunnymen |
| Geoff |
Willie
Nelson "Crazy" |
| Jim |
Leopold "Dreaming
Is For Anyone" |
| Angie |
Easterly "S/T" |
| Jim |
The
Concretes "S/T" |
| Roy |
Ron
Sexsmith "Other
Songs" |
| Michael |
Wal
Light "Let's
Wake Up Somewhere Else" |
| Jared |
The
Cure "Kiss
Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me" |
| Bill |
June & the
Exit Wounds |
| Geoff |
Langley
Schools Music Project "Innocence
and Despair" |
| Roy |
Wayne
Everett "Kingsqueens" |
| Angie |
88
Magic "Gere
Played Piano" |
| Jim |
Motorpsycho "It's
A Love Cult" |
| Roy |
Pelican "Untitled
EP" |
| Michael |
Josh
Rouse "1972" |
| Jared |
Adam & the
Ants "Kings
of the Wild Frontier" |
| Bill |
Bright "S/T" |
| Geoff |
Unbunny "Black
Strawberries" |
| Angie |
The
Fiery Furnaces "Gallowsbird's
Bark" |
| Jim |
The
Crystal Committee "Forever
Overhead" |
| Sally |
The
Aislers Set "How
I Learned To Write Backwards" |
| Roy |
The
Weakerthans "Reconstruction
Site" |
| Michael |
Sukilove "Sukilove" |
| Jared |
Kiss "Destroyer" |
| Bill |
Mars
Volta "De-Loused
In the Comatorium" |
| Geoff |
Let's
Active "Cypress/Affoot" |
| Angie |
Trembling
Blue Stars "A
Certain Evening Light" |
