D/Other
Soliti/Playground, 2021
8/10
A Finnish singer-songwriter who is now 7 albums deep, Astrid Swan is armed with an alluring voice that delivers personal, relatable songs here, that were written over 5 years and embrace pop, folk and indie-rock ideas.
“Drift” starts the listen with twinkling piano that welcomes moody strings from Owen Pallet as Swan’s emotive, expressive vocals guide the bare but impactful opener, and “Silvi’s Dream” follows with a quicker pace that embraces proficient drumming thanks to Alina Toivanen, where a highly melodic indie-pop landscape unfolds with a soulful quality.
Approaching the middle, “True Love” brings a diverse landscape of bright brass, many vocals, and a textured version of folk-pop, while “Luxuries” resides closer to ballad territory, and includes a dreamy demeanor, warm keys and Swan’s diverse pipes that make an immeasurable impact. “In The Woods”, another exceptional tune, then flows with a poetic nature of soft guitars courtesy of Mikael Hakkarainen and sublime intimacy that also finds fuller moments of precise interplay between the musicians.
“Rainbows” and “Daughters” are the last two tracks, where the former brings a hazy beauty amid some charming atmosphere, and the latter exits with strategic keys amid infectious singing from Swan.
Themes on the record surround motherhood, sleeping and dreaming, and Swan continues her honest and intimate song craft that’s garnered plenty of awards and praise in her home country. Now an author, too, her creativity seemingly knows no bounds, as evidenced by this substantial, cautious yet adventurous body of work.
Travels well with: Lucy Kruger And The Lost Boys- Transit Tapes (for women who move furniture around); Alice Phoebe Lou- Paper Castles