Fever Ray

Donkey Kong Country Core

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

this is what you hear in cults

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.

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

Karin Dreijer is THAT bitch. This was a serve.

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

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

David Lynch passed away today and you expect me to write a review? Well, at least this record would kind of fit the spirit of his work: it’s dark and moody and maybe a little psychedelic/dreamlike. Judging by the music that appeared in his later films and Twin Peaks: The Return, it might be safe to say he might have liked it. For me, though…It’s got a terrible album cover though and doesn’t feel very far removed from a lot of the indie-electronica (Indie-tronica? Is that a thing? probably) of its time…at least not enough to warrant inclusion on a list of albums to hear before you die. Finally, why does it sound like the synth in the first track is saying “HOT POTATO, HOT POTATO” over and over? I swear, listen to that first track again: HOT POTATO, HOT POTATO, HOT POTATO, HOT POTATO, HOT POTATO, HOT POTATO, HOT POTATO, HOT POTATO, HOT POTATO, HOT POTATO, HOT POTATO

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.

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

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”

Masterpiece.

Felt like I was being gently haunted by a stylish ghost who just wants me to dance in slow motion.

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.

Fever Ray Took me a while to work out how I felt about this one, mainly as it wasn’t quite what I was expecting knowing The Knife and after the first track. If I Had a Heart is a great opener, kind of medieval moody chanting over a minimally layered electronic landscape, a little bit Bjork with the vocals, setting the album up for some icy-cool Scandinavian/Northern European house inflected electronica with some oomph. However it stays in that sparse, frosty, heavily Bjork influenced lane, with few of the tracks ever feeling like they get out of 2nd gear, like they never quite blossom into full on bangers, and it all felt like one of those albums that is longer than it actually is. On further listens I liked it more, and that feeling of never quite exploding is one of its strengths, as it creates a nice bit of tension, the deliberate austereness and constrained atmosphere is actually really engaging, and sprinkled through it are some great tracks and moments. Aside from theIf I Had a Heart I really liked When I Grow Up, Seven, Triangle Walks, Keep the Streets Empty for Me and Stranger to Kindness. As good as it is at creating that icy atmosphere it definitely does drag towards the end without a great deal of variation, and it does go on about 10 or 15 minutes too long. As it feels more like a suite of music, a tighter, more condensed version would probably be a lot better and feel like a much more self contained experience. Overall I like it, some of it is excellent, and it is good to work to. It’s very nearly a 4 but it’s length and the loss of focus is a bit of an issue, so I’ll stick it as a high 3. 🥵🥵🥵 Playlist submission: Triangle Walks

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.

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

Stunning vocals, and great production.

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!!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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."

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.

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

Strange but riveting. I loved this, once I relaxed into it.

A very cool album. Sonically this will last with you even in places the songwriting won’t, but those sonics are absolutely hypnotizing and uniquely foreboding. This is absolutely something music listeners should hear and a great inclusion to the book. Put it near the top of your “to listen on headphones” list. 8/10

This was a hidden gem, I love it.

Dark atmosphere and nice beats that keep you engaged. The voice can be a bit challenging at times, but overall a pretty good album. Fav Track: Keep The Streets Empty for Me

Is this post apocalyptic tribal? It's kind of haunting with good beats. I dig it.

A bit weird and other-worldly, but absolutely engaging.

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

Decent in places

I was pleasantly surprised by the opening of this album, and I really enjoyed Seven, its a cool poppy alt rock sound I haven't heard too much on this list to this point. But the longer the album went, the more I became disinterested. I think this sound works well as background music while working on something else, but it's not enough on it's own to need a 1 hour album, at least not for me.

This album was ok had some good songs and some interesting ones. I really like Triangle Walks, I’ve listened to that song before. When I grow up was also good. I like the singers previous group as well The Knife, check out Heartbeats on the album Deep Cuts.

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.

Boring as all sin

laaaangweilig

Well this was a surprise. Having listened to Depeche Mode a couple of days ago this is like the evolution of synth pop. The love child of Dave Gahan and Martin Gore. Ethereal and weird, a surround sound of sound. Love the voice. Not something I would have ever listened too if it wasn't on the list. And not a track on the album I didn't like. I guess that's the definition of a 5 isn't it?

Mtoo bommmm Senti mta nostalgia,msm nunca tendo escutado esse álbum. Acho q mto artistas tipo lorde e ethail caim pegaram inspiração nesse álbum. Mto gostosinho de ouvir recomendo mtoo

Dig them. A Swedish Björk, yet darker and edgier than their Icelandic sister.

Dark & dreary.

One of my favorites. Listening critically it is maybe a bit too long but I love it.

I'm getting a Bjork sound from the vocals. Wait is this just Bjork?? [wikipedia break] No, but she is also Scandinavian, and the vocal style is similar. I love this. I am inclined toward experimental stuff that isn't too "out there", and this fits the bill. Nice and ambient.

So this is embarrassing. I’m casually familiar with Fever Ray. I have a few of her bigger hit songs saved in my phone and I’m a big fan of those songs. This is the embarrassing part, one of the few times I went to look into her other stuff I saw the album cover for her debut album and I hated it and came to the conclusion that it would be clunky and rough. Well I was clearly wrong cause this is an amazing album. The production and completely unique and original sound are the biggest stand outs but the songs themselves are just intoxicating. I adore this album, it’s a no skip album.

Bell'album elettro da sonorità nuove, da prendere. Mi ha gasato veramente tanto, ben diverso da quello che ascolto di solito.

I don't know if this is my favorite Fever Ray project, but they just get better and better with every album, and Karin Dreijer is a 5+ star artist. I love these solo projects even more than their work with The Knife. I'm still obsessed with their latest, Radical Romantics. It appeals to my love for pop music while still exploring themes of queer love, desire, and experiences in exciting and interesting ways. The production is so rich and full on this album, and I'm always amazed at how versatile their voice is and how they choose to process and layer it. My favorite tracks are If I Had a Heart, When I Grow Up, and Now's the Only Time I Know.

Never heard of them. I like this album quite a bit.

one of my favorites!

Trippy vocals with jungle beats. Such an oddball but I really liked it.

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

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

Lawedome synth pop. Loved the vibe

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.

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.

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.

strange but very good ;-)

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

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

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

Its pretty bloody good. Top of its genre

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

Apsolutno remek djelo

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

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

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.

Absolute Favorite album and artist and everything

Kate bush vibes, passer sykt til høsten

Liked it back then, still like it.

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.

i ate this upppp

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

Perfectly weird!

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

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).

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

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

So good, reminds me the old snowboard days

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.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

not quite bjork, still 5 stars

Weirdly loved it

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

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