Katharina Nuttall
Turn me on
Novoton
It's a rare occasion that an album as strong as "Turn me on" comes along -- seemingly out of nowhere -- and presents itself as an almost perfect collection of tunes that showcases the work of a true songwriting genius. I say seemingly out of nowhere because for the sheer productivity of Katharina Nuttall as an artist, composer and producer the Swede has by and large flown under the musical radar in terms of global recognition of the level that she deserves. "Turn me on" is an album brimming with emotion, with Nuttall's beautiful-yet-uneasy vocals perfectly complimenting the haunting music that they accompany. With slight nods toward Neil Young, Mazzy Starr and U2 in places (for examples try "Falling down", "Bricks" and "Play" respectively), Nuttall manages to reference a variety of artists throughout the album, although all brought together in a style unique to herself. That said, "Turn me on" offers a distinct familiarity for those of you who have heard Sweden's Paatos or America's 27 (two sublime bands in their own right) sounding off like a darker amalgam of the two. That Nuttall has created a body of work reminiscent of the best of both of the aforementioned is testimony to just how moving "Turn me on" actually is. The great travesty in all of this is that it probably still won't get the level of recognition that it deserves.
- John Norby
