Astrid Swan
Poverina
Delphic Recordings

Finland's Astrid Swan is a talented young singer and her debut album has just arrived. The fact that she plays the piano and is a little quirky in her outlook makes me think of Kate Bush.

"Rock'n'roll blonde" lands in the realm of Tori Amos, particularly songs like "Winter". The grand orchestral arrangement makes the song truly special. "Ten degrees/to the north" is lovely and scaled-down. Swan's delicate vocal singing of life in the cold north. "Life in a Container" is instantly familiar and catchy as well. Swan might have penned a hit here. "War" sounds like a forties jazz ballad, the cryptic lyrics the only tell-tale sign of a modern age. This is a powerful and striking debut.

Copyright © 2005 Anna Maria Stjärnell