MP3: Sofia Karlsson - Visa från Kåkbrinken
In America an artist like Sofia Karlsson would be playing nightly to 10s of fans at cafés and coffeehouses around the country, probably living out of her VW Van and ekeing out a (very) modest living. In Sweden, her albums go gold and she plays to packed theaters. As I've long stated, one of the best aspects of Scandinavian music is the deep appreciation of folk tradition; Sofia Karlsson is living proof, as are deserving upstarts such as Detektivbyrån. "Visa från Kåkbrinken" is Sofia's latest single off her album "Söder om kärleken" and of course it is pure excellence. It reminds me a bit of Dolly Parton's semi-recent bluegrass jaunts ("Little sparrow", "The grass is blue", etc.), 'cept a bit more pared down and intimate. Similar 'grass vibe though f'sure, but without the dense vocal harmonies. You can't have it all I guess, and hey, sometimes that more personal feel is better anyway.
I post a lot of music on this site that I'm fully aware has no broad appeal. Not so with this! If you can't hang with a little Sofia Karlsson, you're dead to me.
Sofia Karlsson - Visa från Kåkbrinken