Mona Nylin
Child of God EP
self-released
This unobtrusive little four-song disc is your standard singer/songwriter fare. Mona Nylin is cut from the same cloth as her Swedish colleague Nesrin Sen, although without Sen's way with the big emotional flourish. First you get two piano songs, the second of which, "Child of God", starts with some pretty playing and fairly gentle vocals, before suddenly turning melodramatic, coinciding with a shift in Nylin's vocal timbre that makes her almost sound like a different singer. Far better are the two guitar songs that follow. "Sun is risin' over sea" is a genuinely lovely ode to an ocean sunrise, with gentle picking adorned by just a hint of ethereal keys in the background. The contemplation before nature's majesty could be a means of putting heartbreak in perspective, as Nylin sings "Love will show itself again/Let's go out and make it happen." And "Time for you and me" is a very delicate, humble tune that hints of early Joni Mitchell... So, a bit of a 50/50 prop here, and I'd encourage Mona to stick with the softer of her two voices, as it keeps her sappier tendencies in check.
- Kevin Renick