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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Fever Ray

Fever Ray

2009

Buy At Rough Trade
Fever Ray
Album Summary

Fever Ray is the debut solo studio album by Fever Ray, an alias of Karin Dreijer of Swedish electronic music duo The Knife. It was released on 12 January 2009 by Rabid Records. The album spawned four singles: "If I Had a Heart", "When I Grow Up", "Triangle Walks" and "Seven".

Wikipedia

Rating

2.99

Votes

12409

Genres

  • Pop
  • Electronica

Reviews

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Dec 02 2020
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2

Holy mouth noises, Batman. Massive recording fail. Minus two stars for the mouth noises. Dang. I think I'd almost be into this if it didn't have any vocals. But the vocal style and the shit-ass-knuckle-dragging-moist-face-juice-dripping vocal recordings are absolutely trash. Also the lyrics are just inane. They include such gems as, "I'm very good with plants. When my friends are away, they let me keep the soil moist." Stupid. And it's honestly a shame because the actual music is layered, nuanced, and interesting.

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Jun 04 2021
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5

Icy Scandinavian business. Far more subtle than The Knife but it is an album that reveals more and more with every listen. I am sure there must be an alternative universe out there somewhere in which The Knife were the biggest band on the planet and Fever Ray is the biggest pop star the world has ever known. It's a universe in which I want to live.

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May 27 2022
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3

This is an album that passed me by because, stupidly, I got Fever Ray and Sugar Ray mixed up and just avoided it. Obviously, it turns out that Fever Ray is better than Sugar Ray.

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Apr 14 2023
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2

me: mom can I have bjork? mom: no we have bjork at home bjork at home:

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Feb 27 2022
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1

A prime example of critics losing their minds over something banal.

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Apr 21 2021
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1

So... what's original about this album? It's like Björk but more annoying and some 15 years later

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Nov 09 2023
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4

A perfect winter album… cold, slightly detached, dark, and also utterly exhilarating and captivating.

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Aug 04 2021
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5

Minimalist and driving, this album creates a sparse electronic landscape that serves as the ominous backdrop for the oft altered vocals of Karin Dreijer (Fever Ray). This album is compelling and expansive and keeps its creative impulses in check as not to leave the tracks bloated. Simply put, I loved this album.

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Aug 07 2021
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4

Je ne peux que remercier Fever Ray pour les moments de nostalgie que m'a offert cet album. Celui-ci s'ouvre sur le générique de la série Vikings, puis enchaîne avec la bande-originale de la série Dark. Sans surprise, c'est le générique de Prison Break qui prend le relai avant que ce ne soit ceux de Friends et d'Une Nounou D'Enfer. Après un court interlude, on entend soudain Michael de la série Ma Famille D'abord dire son cultissime "Euuuh, Non." sous les rires ininterrompus du public. Junior entre à son tour dans la pièce avec Claire et Kady accompagnés d'une série d'applaudissements. Franklin apparaît ensuite et se met à jouer du piano. "Ouuuuh" s'écrie le public. "Euuh, non." répète alors Michael. L'album termine magnifiquement avec un pet de trente secondes.

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Feb 03 2022
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3

Voices range from unborn babies to reanimated corpses. Maybe that sounds icky, but it's not. Somehow, it comes from a place of warmth and empathy. Just don't ask me how. The plink-plonk, drip-drop, tip-tap noises probably help. They kind of sound like computers being melted down, which these days is a very comforting image.

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Feb 10 2022
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2

Variable electronic music from 2009. Low energy Bjork meets apathy.

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Oct 07 2020
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5

Karin Dreijer is THAT bitch. This was a serve.

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Nov 09 2023
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4

An intriguing album, creating a fascinating mood throughout. Rather liked it.

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Nov 06 2023
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4

Fever Ray is singular. They're such a bizarre person, super psychedelic and weird and tribal, absolutely immersive music. I'd never heard their debut, and I'm so glad it got suggested. Hypnotic shit.

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Oct 19 2023
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5

This was an unexpected and delightful surprise, because when I saw the artist name, my brain mixed it up with, “Sugar Ray.” This is nothing like Sugar Ray. The album is rich with atmosphere and kept me engaged the entire time. The track, Keep the Streets Empty for Me, was hauntingly familiar, and it painted a montage in my mind of an IRA cell preparing to strike, hoping to avoid collateral damage, and fully expecting they might not come back. I picture Sean Bean as one of the soldiers in their ranks, so their prospects are not good. That track also marks a shift in the tone of the album. The remaining three tracks strike me as a requiem or sorts, as opposed to the subdued energy of the first 2/3 of the album. I will definitely be listening to this album again!

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Jul 01 2021
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5

Loved starting my day with this weird shit. It made my whole day. Been too long since I’ve knifed

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Dec 01 2023
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4

I listened to this album a lot a few years ago. I love the simplicity of both the lyrics and the music, they somehow combine to touch on something very deep.

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Apr 07 2023
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4

Right off the bat I'm like I LOVE THIS, midway through the song I realize I've been listening to this for 5 years. It's the intro to Vikings. Can't wait to dig further. OK finished the album and I'm on my second listen. Loved it. Maybe the best thing I've discovered doing this.

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Jun 29 2023
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3

Before her debut as Fever Ray, Karin Dreijer was one half of the electronic duo The Knife. Their big claim to fame was the 2002 song "Heartbeats," which was covered soon after by José González. Both versions are amazing and memorable songs. Unfortunately, nothing on "Fever Ray" is quite so memorable. A lot of it feels like a Björk wanna-be. Out of the 8 albums from 2009 that have appeared on the 1001, half have been cut. For one, it again annoys that only 21st-century stuff ever gets removed. But second, here are some 2009 albums that I prefer and would rather got the shine... Neko Case - "Middle Cyclone" St. Vincent - "Actor" Phoenix - "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" Florence and the Machine - "Lungs" Mumford and Sons - "Sigh No More" Passion Pit - "Manners" Decemberists - "Hazards of Love" And go check out any version of "Heartbeats" if you don't know it.

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Mar 29 2023
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1

FUCK this! Sucked my balls. Worst album we’ve heard yet. Fuck whoever included this album.

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Aug 25 2023
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5

A spooky and ethereal electronic record. I really loved the dark and brooding vibe this had. Obviously some Björk parallels to be drawn here, for better or for worse, but personally I loved this. Reading some of the other reviews, I see that "If I Had a Heart" was featured as the opening theme to Vikings, and even though I've not watched it, I can see it. One of my musical obsessions lately has been experimental folk with a Nordic vibe, like Heilung's work. That's probably why I like this so much. Overall this is a very good album I'd never heard before. Thanks for the introduction, generator! Favourite: If I Had a Heart

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Jul 27 2021
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5

Hooooly shit. I’m really happy to see them on the list because Silent Shout by the Knife is one of my biggest “wtf why isn’t this on the list” albums, but at least I get this solo project. This is amazing. When I’m powering through the dregs of the list, the endless British mediocrity and cock rock, I need to remind myself that I’ll occasionally hear an album like this. The way they use their voice. This is so, so good. Favourite track: “Keep the Streets Empty for Me”

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Mar 29 2021
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5

Klingt als hätten Sinead O‘Connor und Björk nach den finalen Atomschlag zusammen ein Album gemacht und bevor die gute Laune mit ihnen durchzugehen droht, haben sie sich in Büßermönche verwandelt.

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Feb 18 2021
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5

Mezcla de : -música india -cindy lauper -¿electrónico? Está bien.

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Nov 09 2023
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4

Two songs in.... This is a very unique sound. Atmospheric, deep sounding. Quite hypnotic. Probably an album I'll save and return to when I need background vibes

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Aug 07 2021
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3

En cette matinée, j'ouvrais mon placard pour récupérer l'un de mes bols et ainsi me préparer mon traditionnel flocons d'avoine/graines de lin/cacao, me faisant comme vous le savez office de petit déjeuner depuis maintenant plus d'un an. Quand soudain à ma grande stupeur, au fond de mon bol pourtant nettoyé la veille à l'aide de liquide vaisselle, une petite trace de Fever Ray subsistait. Je ne me demontais cependant surtout pas, et remis un petit coup d'éponge pour apprécier ma collation matinale. Quelques heures plus tard, alors que je selectionnais ma tenue pour mon footing du midi, l'inscription "Nike" présente sur mon short de course avait été remplacé par deux mots. "Fever" et "Ray", encore eux. Je me dis qu'il s'agissait simplement d'une coincidence, et décidait de partir courir en calecon. En revenant de ma course a pied, une douche s'imposait forcement, au vu des temperatures redevenant plus prononcées en ce mois d'août fort peu ensoleillé jusque là. Après avoir rincé la sueur présente sur mon corps, j'aggripais mon gel douche, laissant couler le precieux savon sur mes mains abimées par de nombreuses seances d'escalade, quand soudain, je sursautais: en s'ecoulant, le liquide bleu sortant du flacon avait formé les deux mêmes mots, Fever sur la main gauche, Ray sur la main droite. Et cela se poursuivit toute la journée. Je reçu l'appel d'un client, le denommé Ray Fever a 14h, à 15h c'est un colis délivré par l'entreprise Fever Ray qui m'etait destiné. Fever Ray était absolument partout. C'est un veritable cauchemar que j'ai vécu aujourd'hui, vendredi 6 août 2021, et je ne peux que supplier le generateur de vite me proposer un nouvel album.

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Nov 06 2024
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5

Heiligs Kanonerohr! Was brucht mer meh wie en mix us modernem nordischem Volk und de idyllischte elektronische Kläng, mitere Sänger*in wo e Tim Burton Interpretation vode Björk chönd sii? Ich segs eu mini Dame und Herre: Nada! Grandios wie guet mich das Album abholt, und zudem ane no amene unmotivierte Ziistig Morge en saftige Tritt in Arsch git. Life is a Movie wenn mer mit dere Music uf de Ohre dur d Strasse lauft. Da chunt de experimentell-elektronischi Timon uf all sini Chöste! Cinco Puntos para la Tim Burton interpretación de la Björk! Felicidades!!

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Nov 06 2024
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5

Guete morge album klöpp und herzlich willkomme karin :) Fever Ray seid mir nüd uf de ersti blick. Freu mich -vlt chli zu optimistisch - i e neui interpretin ihztauche. 1st track -> Viking Series intro track und lil‘neduz isch hooked. Dur dass und die ganz dramatik vu dem lied bin ich in filmmusik vibe inecho, und das ganze album hed mich uf e reis katapultiert, irgendwo zwüsche 11jhdt bi de wikinger, über 1900er i afrikanische dschungels, zu 1980er Jahr i londoner/berliner fabrikhallene bis zu 2100 space travels. Also wow, villi wunderschöni tracks und es kozept fürs album. Alles was ich hüt brucht han. Danke app, danke ray <3 Und am Namittag das ganze Album grad namal es zweits mal dureglosst. E riese Spass. Somit fraged ihr euch zu recht, gid de lil‘neduz dem album 5 Sternlis? Yes, peps. Es gid 5 Chnebel direkt uf de Trese. —— Ade merci. new artist unlocked

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Nov 06 2024
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5

heilige bimbam da hani wüki fascht fever becho wills so fire gsi isch trotz zischtig und 5. november für mich scho d'entdeckig vo de wuche, ja sogar vom monet! abgseh vo eim lied nix kännt, aber han scho mindestens 3 neui treui wegbegleiter für d'zuekunft gfunde… und s'werded bim gnauere kennelerne sicher no wiiteri dezuestosse d'frag isch: cha mer em ne album wo mer erst sit eim tag kännt es 5i gäh? und d'antwort isch: ja, anschinend scho, fühlt sich irgendwie gad richtig ah

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Oct 16 2024
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5

Lawedome synth pop. Loved the vibe

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Sep 14 2024
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5

I prejudged this poorly when I saw “Swedish electronic” in the description and I was wrong to do so. This was dark and weird and very cool.

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Sep 09 2024
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5

Crazy shit... loved every second of it. Experimental in different ways that reminded me of Björk, Low and Bon Iver, among so many other things. Definitely entered my regular rotation.

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Sep 08 2024
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5

Have you ever dreamed of leaving your city job and being a swamp witch? Then this album is for you. I usually associate electronic pop (and Swedish pop) with generic music and shallow lyrics, but this is the complete opposite. Even listening with my simple earbuds that don’t have good bass, I was still impressed by the hypnotic sound. The texts are timeless, and at the same time, they have a powerful, mysterious, ancient folk vibe. Plus, this is one of the rare cases where the album cover did not lie to me about what the music is like and how interesting it is.

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Aug 23 2024
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5

I’d heard favorably of Fever Ray, but mentally conflated them as Sugar Ray (very different), so I never sought their music out. This appeared as my album today, and I was prepared not to care. A few seconds in, I was like, hey, this is pretty cool, definitely not like Sugar Ray. The vocals kicked in and I thought, wow, this band is really influenced by The Knife. Five seconds later, I was like hold-up, this IS The Knife!!! How did this album slip under my radar for more than a decade? Circa 2009, Silent Shout held a perpetual slot in my car’s cd changer (remember those?). I’ve always held Silent Shout as a perfect album of which I base the quality of all other albums to. My friend even went as far as to say she wanted her eventual funeral to simply be a closed casket listening party of Silent Shout, as these songs could convey to her family and friends everything that she was in life. The Knife albums after Silent Shout have all paled in comparison to me, but suddenly, dropped at my feet, is the true sequel (and equal) to SS. Less dancy and more atmospheric, this achieves everything I would’ve liked in a follow up. Thematically, I even see continuity between songs- think Concrete Walls and From Off to On, both featuring at-home ennui with TVs on at all hours. After only two listens, I know already that I’m adding this to my mental collection of baseline go-tos, right next to Silent Shout. 9th review here, and so glad to have found something so valuable to me so soon. This is the very reason I started following this list.

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Aug 08 2024
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5

Idk why I’m so embarrassed to give 5 stars to things that music bros might not give 5 stars. Literally nobody knows who I am on here

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Jul 29 2024
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5

When the aliens arrive I think they will be listening to this album. There is a strange but appealing feel to it that gets 5 stars or A- as a rating from me.

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Jul 25 2024
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5

When I first discovered Fever Ray I was hooked, I devoured everything including The Knife. If I Had a Heart, When I Grow Up, Keep the Streets Empty For Me are certainly standouts on this album but even tracks like Now's the Only Time I Know get stuck in my head.

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Jul 24 2024
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5

Hoy toca escuchar a unx artista que tenía agendadx (no se alarmen con las x: es una manera más simple para definir a alguien queer/no binario). Siempre me gustó The Knife y tiempo después me enteré de la faceta solista de Karin Dreijer: a veces los algoritmos tiran buena data pero entre tanta información recomendada, uno se pierde. Es indudable su presencia y cómo prima la onda The Knife en todo. Disco sumamente introspectivo, colgado: más que la banda. Todo muy etéreo y soñado. Me encantó.

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Jul 11 2024
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5

This is one of my top albums of all time, definitely a desert island album.

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Jul 08 2024
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5

I really enjoyed this one, it's got a great feel. The lyrics are sometimes awkward, but that is easily forgivable. Favorite track: "Keep the Streets Empty For Me."

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Jul 08 2024
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5

I'm a huge fan of The Knife and Fever Ray. I love their Swedish electronic weirdness and their witty and sharp lyrics. This album has a lot of dark droning soundscapes, and it feels uniquely Karin versus what she was doing with The Knife. It's darker and more melancholy than her previous work. If you fast forward to today, her Radical Romantics feels almost exactly like The Knife (maybe because her brother contributed to the album). Ahh, I adore this band. I swooned when I saw them perform with Christeene in Austin last year. It was easily my favorite show of the year, and it was the queerest, gayest audience ever. It makes sense given how uniquely strange Fever Ray is. Karin always performs in some sort of freaky character, and there's a good amount of raunch a la John Waters. Excellent album, and I wish The Knife would pop up on this challenge.

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Jul 03 2024
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5

Fantastic stuff, dark and atmospheric. Love what they are doing vocally. If you like this you will almost definitely like Holly Herndon, who sounds quite similar in places.

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May 29 2024
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5

This was kinda cool and different. I liked it. Very Kate Bush/Brian Eno type of thing.

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May 25 2024
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5

I have no idea who Karin dreijer is but they make some great electronica. Heavy, oppressive soundscapes mixed with other more groovy tracks made it a awesome listen all the way through. I get the bjork comparisons but something about it worked for me that I don’t get from bjorks music. If I had a heart is by far my favorite but I also liked when I grow up and triangle walks

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Apr 22 2024
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5

Mezcla de : -música india -cindy lauper -¿electrónico? Está bien.

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Apr 13 2024
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5

Its pretty bloody good. Top of its genre

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Apr 04 2024
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5

One of my most favourite records ever. The mood and the production here are so nice.

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Mar 22 2024
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5

I was so excited to listen to this album again) I wanted to dance and sing and move through my life with a new kind of power

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Mar 20 2024
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5

Mezcla de : -música india -cindy lauper -¿electrónico? Está bien.

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Mar 20 2024
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5

It's a shame that this and The Knife will always be under-appreciated. The atmosphere throughout this is intoxicating, 'Triangle Walks' and 'Keep The Streets Empty For Me' are the highlights but I couldn't pick a weak song on here if I tried. Just swallows you into it's world.

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Feb 29 2024
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5

Absolute Favorite album and artist and everything

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Feb 26 2024
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5

Kate bush vibes, passer sykt til høsten

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Feb 16 2024
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5

Liked it back then, still like it.

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Feb 08 2024
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5

I love both their solo stuff and their work with The Knife. The solo stuff definitely has a more haunting, primal energy. I love how stark and dark the beats are, and how androgynous the vocals are made through effects. I've said it before and I'll say it again, 2009 was the best year for indie music.

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Feb 02 2024
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5

This is a great album. I loved this one when it came out and listened to it a lot at the time. Excited to see this one come up today, good reminder to give it another round of listening. Have very strong associations with this album and camping in the Olympic National Park in Washington state cause my friends and I sat around all night under a tarp as it rained, playing cards and listening to this album on a bluetooth speaker. I've got to go with 5/5. Standout Tracks: If I Had a Heart, When I Grow Up, Dry and Dusty, Seven, Triangle Walks, Concrete Walls, Keep the Streets Empty for Me, Coconut

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Jan 18 2024
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5

Wow. Sound design on this album is perfect - something going on in every track. Dark and melodic.

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Jan 17 2024
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5

I had absolutley no expectaions going into this, and I was very pleasantly surprised. This is an intriguing electronica record that encapsulates the Scandinavian winter perfectly. That is saying something, coming from a Norwegian listening to a Swedish artist. And to all my fellow musician — most of our musical pride and joys took their sound from this, some way or another (probably through Highasakite).

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Jan 08 2024
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5

This is one of my top favorite albums. 5/5

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Dec 21 2023
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5

Mezcla de : -música india -cindy lauper -¿electrónico? Está bien.

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Dec 15 2023
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5

So good, reminds me the old snowboard days

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Dec 11 2023
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5

So wild when an album comes up, I think “oh I know this stone cold classic,” and then go to the reviews and people are basically braying like frickin donkeys.

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Oct 11 2023
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5

ambient music with a weird scandanavian woman singing over the top? count me in.

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Jun 30 2023
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5

The best album from the decade of the 2000s. Should never have been taken off the list.

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Jun 29 2023
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5

A really good find. I dig the electronic sparseness.

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Jun 21 2023
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5

I’ve never heard of Fever Ray (or The Knives, which seems to be the main band for this artist). This album artwork looks pretty great though! I have fairly high expectations just from the artwork. I want to like an artist that can produce something like that! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Seven, If I Had A Heart, I’m Not Done This album was pretty fantastic. It sounds like what I wanted Björk to sound like when I first listened to her: trippy and weird, but still catchy. I loved the minimalist beats here, with the music mostly being led by the synths rather that a big bass drum. The vocals were primal at times, utilising pitch shifting software to sing high notes as well as demonic lows. I don’t often like much electronic music, and even less experimental, but this was a big hit for me.

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Jun 09 2023
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5

Not sure how exactly to put this rating into words... Suffice to say that I like it more than the 4s lol. It's got a dark and kinda unsettling vibe you just won't get outside of The Knife or maybe Joy Division, and I really freakin' dig it. Not gonna be for everyone obviously, but I do find it truly singular.

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May 25 2023
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5

This has such a great atmosphere and texture, you almost forget there's some solid songcraft at play too. I love Fever Ray, and this is a good reminder as to why.

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Mar 02 2023
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5

I mean it started with a banger, and the unique energy just didn’t quit. I love music like this, especially while navigating this list. This is why I’m doing this. I prolly would have never of listened to this album otherwise.being a Vikings fan has prolly aided my love for this album. 1. If I Had a Heart 2. Concrete Walls 3. Triangle Walks 4. Seven 5. Now’s the Only Time I Know

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Feb 05 2023
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5

This is the reason why i joined this challenge, to discover this weird and different album. Love it .5

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Jan 26 2023
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5

I listened to The Knife a lot but never got into this album. Very chill and cool.

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Jan 26 2023
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5

Very nice! Björk-ish but not Björk. Will want to listen again.

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Dec 25 2022
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5

I really really got into this. The brooding electronic rhythm and beats are perfectly matched for the bjork-esque vocals. Triangle Walks and Keep the Streets Empty are really strong, though the whole album keeps that vibe and hits for me.

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Dec 14 2022
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5

инопланетный ведьминский шабаш

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Nov 20 2022
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5

Loved this album! I wasn't expecting the Vikings theme song to kick off an album on this list, but it is a good song...you never know.

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Oct 10 2022
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5

Great fusion of Cranberries meet Type O Negative

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Aug 05 2022
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5

I had never heard of them before. I love it!

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Jun 20 2022
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5

An obvious contemporary to Bjork. Fantastic soundscapes and really Ethereal and lingering vocals bring this all the way into my wheelhouse.

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Jun 09 2022
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5

So dark and bleak. The synths bring everything together beautifully. The riffs are minimal and build nicely through each track with great attention paid to every note. It reminds me a bit of some of the below the radar tracks on early 80s Peter Gabriel albums. The songs are well-written and different enough to hold your interest for 50+ minutes. The lyrics are personal, murky and cryptic, full of references to snow and water and streams - like a winter in Sweden. A great album to listen to with Eraserhead running in the background. I didn’t love her use of synthesizers to get a deeper, male-voice, but hey, that was only in 2 or 3 songs and it was the thing twelve years ago, after all.

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Dec 15 2021
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5

Great electronic album, very strong songs: the four singles seem arbitrary choices. Probably the best album of the 2000-2009 decade.

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May 12 2021
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5

Loved it. Very hypnotic, trance inducing rhythms, melodies and textures. Great vocal processing production. Thought provoking, sentimental, and relatable lyrics

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Jan 25 2021
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5

I know it's not for everyone, but I love Fever Ray and The Knife. Big fan of the mood the music creates. Full marks.

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Feb 07 2021
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5

I love this album. Concrete walls is one of my top songs of all time. 7/5

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Dec 16 2024
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4

Mellow electronica - I'm here for it

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Dec 14 2024
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4

Well this is it, the final album. After almost 3 years I'm finally done. I have to say, this was a nice one to finish one. I've seen Fever Ray live before, at some festivals, so I knew what I was getting into. Saying that, I am not the largest fan of them. It's got a vibe that you really have to be in the mood for and I've never quite been in that vibe completely. Still a really unique artist that is doing something interesting. Better than the enumerable long album boring British bands that barely have an impact on music.

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