MP3: Bertine Zetlitz - 500
Bertine Zetlitz was introduced to me as the "Norwegian Robyn", which isn't really true at all. Yes, they are both successful female pop artists, but Robyn is all about sass and Bertine is cool to the point of being cold. Even though I'm usually all about attitude, there can be something very alluring about this standoffish approach. Desire for the unobtainable? On the other hand, it also runs the danger of falling flat when the emotional distance is kept too wide. Unfortunately, Bertine's latest album "My Italian Greyhound" falls prey to the latter more often than not - it's only the select 2-3 tracks that work as they should. The lead single "500" is the winner by far. The production is very Dr. Dre SoCal funk and the vocals are kept very subdued. You immediately get the sense that Bertine is being less than truthful and, later in the song, she makes it very clear what's really going on. At first I didn't really think the song was all that special - it's all a bit too unassuming if you're not paying close attention - but repeated listens have proven otherwise.
Bertine Zetlitz - 500