Things We Don’t Talk About
Icons Creating Evil Art, 2021
8/10
Listen to Things We Don’t Talk About
The Swedish singer-songwriter Ellinor Sterner Bonander makes quite an impression on this debut album, where a very curious brand of synth-pop unfolds with a powerful, dark and superbly layered approach.
“Never Ask” starts the listen vocally strong as plenty of harmonizing surrounds the brief, atmospheric pop, and “Gone In The Wind” follows with a darker quality that displays Bonander’s synth work alongside Johan Johannson’s precise guitar and Agnes Scherwin’s strategic violin.
There are 12 very well thought out tracks included, and the middle ones are among the best, including the club friendly, electro-pop of the ominous “Ms. Mitchell”, where Elias Ortiz’s swirling synth won’t go unnoticed, while “Slumber Love” glides with a dreamy, ambient appeal that’s not short on emotion or intimacy. “Annie”, another excellent track, then recruits bass clarinet from Astrid le Clercq and Hillevi Rasmusson Klingberg’s cello as the setting turns into an almost fairy tale landscape with some firm, cinematic moments.
Inching towards the end, “Silent Lights” emits a mysterious angle where Bonander’s expressive singing is shrouded in textured beauty, and “Ode” exits the listen with Sara Hermansson’s grand piano accompanying the sparse but impactful finish.
A unique first record where elegant strings, thick bass lines, no lack of synth melodies and, of course, Bonander’s diverse and inviting singing makes for a very talented and alluring version of pop that we hopefully will hear plenty more of in the future.
Travels well with: Misty Coast- When I Fall From The Sky; Goan Dogs- Call Your Mum