Karin Ström
Sneda Ögons EP
Datadamen Records

Karin Ström was on the verge of releasing her debut album for Nettwek records when she was dropped. She decided to go it alone, and made this EP. Her other career as a journalist and novelist kept going too. Her own brand of electronica sung in Swedish is introspective and compelling. Opener "Psykos" is melancholy and looks back on a past relationship. The minimal beats and whispery vocal suit it well. "Sneda ögons vakenhet" (The wakefulness of slanted eyes) is gorgeous and oddly catchy. Ström seems to have found her voice, even if her past EP was nice.

"Den sjukaste historien" (The sickest story) is an aptly plaintive closer. Ström sings of complex love and wets our appetites for a full-length album soon.

Copyright © 2006 Anna Maria Stjärnell