Love These Days
Self-Released, 2026
9/10
The Brooklyn artist Karen Dahlstrom returns to her jazz vocal roots with these 10 songs that can tip their hat to Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holliday, Chet Baker and Julie London.
“Can’t Help Myself” opens with Dahlstrom’s warm voice and guitar alongside Brian Gelmer’s skilled drumming with a timeless folk quality, and “After The Flood” follows with a crisp approach that’s heartfelt and welcomes Brandon Wilde’s flowing bass that suits the sincere singing.
“Goodbye Espanola” resides in the middle and recruits Ginger Dolden’s viola for the intimacy and grace, while “Cottonmouth Blues” enlists Annie Nero’s upright bass amid the soulful and old time mood.
“Broken Golden” and “Let’s Go Out Tonight” exit the listen. The former moves soft and poetically with much emotion, and the latter is just Andrew Ryan’s upright bass and Dahlstrom’s vulnerable voice and guitar that tugs on the heartstrings.
A highly thoughtful and articulate effort, Dahlstrom’s vision seems therapeutic sometimes, other times melancholic, as she sorts through anxiety, disconnection, regret and grief with an inspiring and relatable power.
Travels well with: Elly Kace- The Seventh Gate; Jared Dustin Griffin- Sisyphus