MP3: Lampshade - Fjäril
Today's mp3 post belongs to Kevin Renick. Take it Kevin...
Avi and I were both mesmerized by the new Lampshade CD "Let's away", but he was gracious enough to let me do the writeup for today's mp3. Lampshade is a quintet with four Swedes and a fabulous Danish vocalist named RebekkaMaria Andersson. In just two CDs, these guys have become one of the finest bands in Scandinavia, and they're one of the first bands I would mention right now if someone asked me why I'm so enamored of all things Nordic. Lampshade's music is filled with dynamic colors, from fiery guitar work and pounding percussion, to utterly bewitching moments of sensual softness. And for those like me who are especially captivated by Scandinavian music that SOUNDS Scandinavian, Andersson's voice is positively enthralling. She enunciates distinctively, with a more relaxed air than Björk, to whom she's sometimes compared, yet her accent is delightful, adorning these beautifully crafted compositions with an extra bit of magic. This song is one of the standouts on a disc with many of them: Andersson sings lyrics in exquisite Swedish over a droning guitar pulse that evokes ancient folk mysteries and an epic sense of space, then she switches to English mid-stream for a sweet ballad about a "little girl all dressed up in ropes and tears." The song continues with lovely vocal harmonies, back to the droning guitar, then an unexpected melodic little coda. Honestly, this is about as powerful and emotionally gripping as music can get!
Ladies and gentlemen, he speaks the truth. "Let's away" is another one of 2006's best releases. And in case you were wondering, it's Damien Jurado providing the male harmony vocals. Check 'em out on tour in Sweden and Norway with Namur:
03/04 - Kulturhuset, Jönköping (SWE)
03/05 - KlubbOhSunday, Gothenburg (SWE)
03/07 - Landet, Stockholm (SWE)
03/08 - KlubbdinMamma, Folketshus, Örebro (SWE)
03/09 - Herrgår´n, Linköping (SWE)
03/11 - Rock Bottom, Oslo (NOR)
Lampshade - Fjäril