Fever Of Love

A few years ago, a friend introduced me to a band called "The Knife" a brother and sister duo from Sweden that made music similar to The Ting Tings, if I had to find a comparison. It was good, I suppose, and interesting. But when I stumbled upon the female vocalist Karin Dreijer Andersson's solo project "Fever Ray", I was deeply intrigued.
This past July, Fever Ray released a self-titled album. I was instantly struck by the monochromatic artwork that vibrated with intense linework on an album that seemed to be made out of a velvety-paper product that shone like vinyl. It opened up to have a poster of the same artwork with lyrics on the back, imagery that would suit my walls most definitely!
I played the album and was impressed with the first single, If I Had a Heart, a song for which I had seen the visually stunning and haunting video. The song starts with a pulsating piano note that echoes through your ears and leaves you wanting more. Karin's vocals are deep and full of effects that create this menacing character you can't seem to escape, paired with her authentic and small feminine voice. Her lyrics convey the feeling of what the audience must feel, if they are anyone like me. "More, give me more, give me more."
The second song "When I Grow Up" is a more upbeat song, with an almost euro-disco vibe infused with tribal drums and echoing voices. The video is equally strange as the lyrics "When I grow up, I want to be a forrester, run through the moss on high heels".
This whole album is filled with Karin's experimentations with 80's synths and tribal drums, unapologetic attitude and an "I'm coming to get you" feeling. Anyone that enjoys not knowing what's coming around the corner and being musically stimulated in unusual ways is in for a treat. And I'm not one to appreciate female artists for the sake of being female, because I think it is condescending to separate them from their deserved "artist" label, BUT I find Karin to be impressively intimidating: She wrote the lyrics, produced the beats, AND mixed the shit. If I do have to give props to a woman for being powerful and fiercely independent, then this girl gets my vote.


Songs I recommend:

If I Had A Heart
When I Grow Up
Triangle Walks
Concrete Walls
Keep The Streets Empty For Me


Find the Album Online Here