Reviews (page 2 of 7)
This album is in my regular listening rotation already! Fever Ray knows how to create an evocative, surreal dreamscape with nothing but sound. (The stage costumes do help, mind, but they're not NECESSARY.) So, uh. Seeing as how they were one of my favorites even before I started this project, I fear my five star rating is very much biased.
I absolutely love Deep Cuts by the Knife, so slightly mad that I didn’t know this was a solo project. Anyway, it’s absolutely brilliant. Moodier and mellower than the Knife but with the exact same ability to really capture a mood and your attention.
Hm I think when I first saw this I thought Sugar Ray. But this is definitely not! What ever it is it's fucking dope. I feel like I've heard this first track before. I like it. It's dark and bass heavy. Wow this album has been so fucking awesome! 5 stars!!
I really love this album. If I had a heart and keep the streets empty for me are so friggin good. 5/5
I really enjoyed the dark industrial electronica of this. Creepy, snakey vocals that sound like they were recorded in the dark with a torch. The production throughout is superb (especially on earphones, as I do most of my listening these days). It's a good example of an artist using the advantages of a modern cinematic production to maximum effect. I'm impressed.
Great sound. Strong personality at a time when bland music dominates.
This is beautiful
🖤🖤🖤
Good shit this
Un disco y una artistas especiales. Entre Bjork, Anohni y Dead Can Dance. Tal vez sea Kate Bush una buena comparación. Keep the streets empty for me es hipnótica. MI favorita When I grow up fue otro tema muy escuchado. Cualquier disco suyo es una experiencia, por no hablar de su estética
Súper dope álbum. All the way through
An incredible balancing act of minimalist and maximalist elements. The result is otherworldly yet familiar.
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
My least favorite of Fever Ray’s albums as they’ve just continued to grow as a song writer with each albums but there’s still so much to love about the atmosphere on this one.
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.
A really good find. I dig the electronic sparseness.
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.
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.
Marvelous
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.
I love this album
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
This is the reason why i joined this challenge, to discover this weird and different album. Love it .5
I listened to The Knife a lot but never got into this album. Very chill and cool.
Very nice! Björk-ish but not Björk. Will want to listen again.
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.
инопланетный ведьминский шабаш
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.
Great fusion of Cranberries meet Type O Negative
Loved it.
I had never heard of them before. I love it!
An obvious contemporary to Bjork. Fantastic soundscapes and really Ethereal and lingering vocals bring this all the way into my wheelhouse.
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.
Great electronic album, very strong songs: the four singles seem arbitrary choices. Probably the best album of the 2000-2009 decade.
Very good
Loved it. Very hypnotic, trance inducing rhythms, melodies and textures. Great vocal processing production. Thought provoking, sentimental, and relatable lyrics
Vikings soundtrack lol
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.
I love this album. Concrete walls is one of my top songs of all time. 7/5
I prefer her as part of the Knife, but this still captures the cool Scandi electronic vibe
Very cool
Strangely good
#183/1001 🇸🇪 Dark, moody electro - never hear it before but its definitely my kind of thing. I'll come back for another listen. Best Tracks: Keep The Streets Empty for Me, If I Had A Heart, When I Grow Up.
When this title came up as my album of the day, I had forgotten that Fever Ray was the name used by Karin from The Knife. I find this to be very immersive. I want to lie down with headphones and my eyes closed. Unfortunately, I don't have time for that right now — and if I tried, I'm tired enough that I'd probably just fall asleep! Some of it reminds me a bit of Bjork.
This album is so deliciously weird.
Playstation 1 sound font ass music
I loved this album when it came out, but other than the lead single (If I Had a Heart), it's not strong enough to justify a 5/5.
Pretty interesting. Has a spooky, grungy, but highly polished vibe. Borders on outrun or synthwave but mixed with the avant garde pop. There are moments where it feels derivative of Bjork but mostly it's creative, moody, and interesting. This has aged better than most of the 2009 electronica and shows the swedes were really at the cutting edge for pop music at the time.
Everyone's comparing this to Bjork, and for a good reason. It's very much Bjork-lite. It's not quite as daring or avant guarde since the style has been around for a while, but it's still interesting because not many people are doing it. I liked it, though the last set of tracks sort of melded in to each other. I guess a smooth flow was part of the whole thing - each song was individual but held a non-musical theme throughout the whole album. Glad I listened to it.
1. "When I Grow Up" 2. "Seven" 3. "Triangle Walks"
At times ominous and spooky, and at other times melancholy and wistful. If I Had A Heart and When I Grow Up are both very solid tracks, but the album doesn't quite reach those highs again afterward. Still, the vibes are pretty consistent and cool.
Best Song: If I Had a Heart This was a pleasant surprise. I'm not a huge trance music fan but this is a perfect representation of doing it right. The singer is an odd voiced woman and the lyrics are nearly impossible to understand but it is still a really nice change of pace. I gave it a 4/5 simply because the use case for this is relatively small and not a, "throw it on any time" kind of album.
Opening track was such a throw back. I enjoyed finally getting to listen to the full album! 3.5 rounded up to 4. Favorite tracks: If I Had a Heart, Concrete Walls, Coconut.
I liked this, moody, sparse hypnotic at times. I imagine it would be a really good night time driving album. 3.8
von vorne bis hinten atmospherisch. hab nur keine ahnung welches genre oder was man mir damit sagen will. trotzdem geil
Many interesting sounds. Inventive interactions between electronics and the human voice.
Didn't expect to hear the Vikings theme tune on this album, and it was such an intriguing opener that set a real atmospheric and dark tone to the music. This continued throughout the album, and I really enjoyed the ambient style to the record, despite the fact that few elements at any point truly blew me away. The music itself is a great listen but the vocal production is also slightly annoying for me, it sometimes felt like there was a touch of weird ASMR coming through.
Very cool, vibey album. Really liked this one.
Очень интересная электроника с этническими, колдовскими мотивами. Звучит как саундтрек к фильму про ведьм, но в каком-то современном полу-техно-антураже. Чем-то это все мне напомнило Butterfly 3000 одной австралийской группы. Синты звучат очень интересно и хитро, много перкуссии и ритма, но при этом сохраняется магическая атмосфера. Один из самых интересных альбомов в этом списке.
Surprised by how much the chill melodies and vocals landed with me. I actually listened to it while lifting instead of switching to an audiobook or podcast like I normally do.
well-produced and pleasantly ominous, but perhaps a bit one-note
I liked it. I can understand how people wouldn't tho. It kinda felt like mild electronic Heilung at times.
I don't know why, but I really vibed with this album. It was perfect for a midday coffee shop working session. Kinda weird, kinda eclectic. I really loved the first song. I even sent it to somebody, which tells you that I really did like it. Anyways. I guess I have to do more soul searching on what music I like and why. haha
A nice departure from the other albums. Enjoyed it
Really cool and good sounding! Liked the atmosphere and two contrasting vocalists!
A great album from start to end. Some really good songs. Especially liked “Seven”. Will definitely go back to this one.
I don't know what kind of mood I was in when I listened to this, but I was into it
Not at all what I expected but enjoying this all the same. Hypnotic electronic rhythms and the subdued lyrics low in the mix give this a mysterious quality. Like it. 4
I haven’t heard this before. There’s a nice atmospheric sound to this and I like the synth sounds. The singer’s voice is a little grating, apparently they are Swedish but it sounds like they was trying to effect a carribean accent of some form on about half the songs, but you eventually look past it. Some of the keys and drum rhythms almost have a gamelan sound to them which is cool. Listened to this on my commute and had to go through it a second time to give it a proper chance and I’m glad I did, this is a good album.
4.5
Bjork BUT actually listenable
What makes it great is not variety in the conventional sense. In fact, one of the most obvious risks here is sameness. The album moves slowly, keeps a tight emotional temperature, and rarely breaks the spell to offer easy relief. But that restraint is exactly why it works.
Looking forward to this one based on the little I know about it. After a listen, this sounds like other self-consicously weird and boundary-pushing artists I have heard. I am especially reminded of Holly Herndon. I definitely like it, but I don't know if I love it, particularly as it is clearly meant to be an uncomfortable listening experience. On reflection, I am giving it 4 stars. I maybe like it a little less than that, but this is the kind of thing the list needs more of. People should be listening to weirder stuff, not another group of 4 white guys with guitars and drums from the US or UK.
This one was so fun and interested my but honestly wish there were less vocals. Very pleasantly surprised with this overall
This was so interestingly tribal than I expected, upon seeing the electronica tag. Really cool
Really solid this, liked how moody the synths were. Great stuff
One of the most interesting albums I've heard
I don't know anything about Fever Ray. This is pretty good, very chill and ethereal. Not something I would usually throw on but it definitely has a cool moodiness to it. Glad to have discovered this album. I'd say a solid 3.5 stars.
I really love this album , it is produced so beautifully. The comparisons to Bjork strike me as fairly reductive but also I understand the impulse.
Miälenkiintoinen levy, en ehkä ensimmäisellä kuuntelulla saanut tuhottoman paljon irti, mutta menee vahvalle ehkä -listalle uudelleenkuunteluun artisti/levy.
Det her va rart, og æ likte det. Æ har aldri hørt på hverken Fever Ray eller The Knife, men æ har jo hørt om dem siden tidenes morgen. Så æ visste ikke ka æ gikk til, men det begynte å demre nokka om stemmen til vokalisten sånn etterhvert. Generelt positiv, sjøl om æ ikke vet om æ kommer til å høre så mye på det?
very unique
fire,worth a relisten
I rlly like this, though i had only heard “If I had a heart” before. Favourite track: “Now’s the only time I know”
Good
найс. респект за во все тяжкие.
It builds its own world and just stays there, which I respect. The textures are dense and a bit suffocating in a good way, like everything is happening just under the surface. It’s not especially dynamic, though, and that can make it feel a little one-note across a full listen. Still, the atmosphere is so well-constructed that it holds your attention even when the songs themselves blur together.
Sparse Swedish electronica from the 2000s. It's a very unique sound... weird, wintry, and ethereal. I found it interesting. Good representative track: "Seven."
Interesting album - stark at times, but fairly chill. One I’d come back to, I think. Favourite track: Seven
A genre I love and a band I've never heard of. It was great!
Noice
I really like “If I Had A Heart,” but haven’t heard anything else by Fever Ray, so I’m looking forward to it. —- I was actually expecting to be disappointed by the rest of the album, but it was right up my alley! The quality and tone were pretty consistent with “If I Had A Heart” - kind of spooky/dark, ethereal, lovely. Totally works for me, and I really enjoyed the whole thing. Favorites: If I Had A Heart, Concrete Walls, Now’s The Only Time I Know, I’m Not Done, Here Before
I liked this! It was not my usual style but I still thought it was really well done and very interesting!
Very fluid, smooth but a little trippy, nice background music
3/4
dark and near perfect to me.
I would not trust anyone who likes this album
Loved the vocals. Very chill album.
I enjoyed this
I don't hate this album. I made the mistake of reading the reviews first so I wasn't expecting much. It's one you have to be in a particular mood to listen to. The music is really good, the vocals are interesting at times but I think compliment the music well.
This was a pretty good album! Nice lo-fi techno album!
Great and ahead of its time. I wish more pop music sounded like this. Strange and melodic and full of feeling. I’m off to listen to Fever Ray’s other albums. Holy smokes.
Inoffensive Swedish electronica compared to exile in guyville, which I got yesterday. It’s certainly quite interesting and resembles bjork a bit but generally not that good. 4/5
'If I had a voice, I would sing'; 'I put my soul in what I do'; 'I'm very good w/ plants / When my friends are away / They let me keep the soil moist.' This is a unique record. Every ounce of me is telling me that it ain't all that, not b/c it's a guilty pleasure but rather b/c I think I'll grow tired of it and that I'll never be attached to it. But lyrically, Karin is artsy but not fartsy, and what is more important, they make music that's deep for a bit and fun for a bit longer. It's an extraordinary fusion of Björk's oddnesses and the sincere feel-goodness of the Pet Shop Boys (Very), w/ some of the more mercurial aspects of Eno. It's a strange thing, but not too strange, and it's majoring as much as it's minoring. I don't know how often I'll come back. It yet hits.
Very mellow. Never heard of them and there were no real clues in artwork. Will listen again for sure. Electro synth pop with a great balance, could be great background music or headphones on and get lost in it.
3.9
Haunting, alienating - gives me Kid A vibes but with even more distinctive, often distorted and layered vocals. It made it all that much more compelling when the singer used their apparently unaltered voice in 'Keep the Streets Empty for Me.' Added multiple songs to different playlists - a solid find I should have known given I like the Knife.
Pretty good
got some nice stuff
Super pleasantly surprised. Had me from the open bars of the album.
A very interesting arrangement 4 - great, even among this list
Out of Space
would be even better if they left out all the weird mouth noises. Also it's pretentious
Electro-goth pitch-shifted vocals with 80s synths that make you think of neon lights and Miami. Slow songs with a Nordic bent (something a little Bjork about the intonations). Excellent music to listen to alone at dusk with your headphones on.
The Fever Ray was an invention created by Len Houmous in 1956 shortly after Houmous & Chutney returned from Korea. 3.6 3/10 Dry & Dusty
Always loved this one
Coldplay left me well, cold
This was made by a Swede, so I have to give it a high ranking. Nah, I actually liked the album before checking the Wiki for more information.
Actually cool. Doesn’t boast. So glad to have gotten something worth listening to by someone that’s not a cishet man
I really enjoyed this album, in part from the sense of uncertainty that infuses everything about it. I automatically assumed that Fever Ray (the artist) is a man, based on the album cover look and the opening vocals of "If I had a heart", then got confused when a woman's voice seemed to become the dominant voice in the song, and by the appearance of a creepy ghost-like woman-like character in that song's video, which itself was incredibly ambiguous and open-ended (I also wondered if this video might have been excerpts from some horror film, but it appears not). In some ways the five videos are a highlight of the album, each adding weird/sinister/dread-filled visuals (and seeming to invoke Scandinavian indigenous cultures/costumes) to songs that already seem to capture a similar sentiment, and giving a little visual variety to the often relentlessly similar rhythm/pace of the various tracks. My favorites were probably "If I had a heart", "Seven", "Concrete walls", and "Keep the streets empty for me". I'll admit there were times I was reminded of Bjork, but thankfully those moments passed quickly, although I can imagine that Sugar Ray's novelty would wear off after three or four albums. Given how much I enjoyed this solo album by Karin Dreijer, I'm a bit disappointed that we don't get any The Knife albums in this collection; it would be nice to hear how the siblings' duo band differs from this solo project. (I guess I'll just have to carve out some time to listen to them....) And what a shame that this album only appeared in a single edition of the "1001 Books" (2011 edition).
4.2 Wow, extremely enjoyable from something I have absolute zero knowledge of but feel like I should. Quite midstage Bjork-ish, crossed with the classic 2010ish art pop style that was doing the rounds a lot then. Think I'll be exploring this one more.
listened before, it's good
"Keep The Streets Empty For Me" is gorgeous!
fan of if i had a heart not a fan of concrete walls i was planning on giving this 3 stars but DAMn people are hating on this. 4 stars it is favorite song: if i had a heart
Fever X-ray! A voice that penetrates to the bone! I like it. Perfect album.
So Bjork-inspired that it sounds just like Bjork! I mostly dug it.
Weird experimental synth album and band. I honestly loved it but wasn't super in the mood for it. but the sounds and mixing on it were amazing.
Uwielbiam. Oryginalne z wokalem, który wchodzi pod skórę. Eksperymentalne, przenikające, dziwne. 8/10
I had never heard of Fever Ray before, but this is enticing! Downtempo bleeps and bloops from 2009 with great vibe-y vocals. This is a style I will never tire of.
Muy interesante pero muy extraño, diría la clásica. Me gustó bastante, no conocía nada de Fever Ray y la verdad no sé muy bien qué genero sea esto, pero me encantó su atmósfera dark, apesadumbrada y por momentos hasta juguetona. Buen descubrimiento.
Sympa de ouf en vrai !
Carrément ma came j'adore les sonorités
Sick, moody album. I like.
Dark, strange, and quite interesting ambient electronic pop music. The first half brought to mind Celtic Frost's more experimental work for some reason. Although I'm going with four stars, it felt a bit like this album never really went anywhere, but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
Vage maar aanstekelijke muziek, door de samenzang en de percussie heeft het iets ritueels, maar dan met een boel piepjes erdoor. Leuk gedaan, eentje die je met een gerust hart meermalen kunt draaien. (Niet teveel googelen hoe het mens eruit ziet, trouwens. Je moet ook rustig kunnen slapen.)
Surprising good as background music
7/10 maybe 8?
First track takes you right back to watching Vikings. Great mood and theme throughout.
This was nothing like what I was expecting, and I was pleasantly surprised. Great album for late nights
Different but wasn't bad
very interesting
This was in heavy rotation when I was around 19 years old. Even now the mysterious, other worldly production is enveloping. Not every song's vocals work for me, but when they do, they really do. Concrete Walls in particular has always stood out to me. Classic record for me. *Heard before
deliciously dark
Dark, moody and ominous.
Weird and wonderful 8/10 Favorite tracks- “When I Grow Up” “Triangle Walks” “Coconut”
Favorite Track: If I Had A Heart
Fever Ray is still unmatched when it comes to crafting dark electro-pop (building on the much weirder Silent Shout). So many have tried to imitate but none have done it better.
Very chill, but well made. Good background music
One of a kind, poppy, bleak and dark, tuneful and with some extra-ordinary vocals. The album cover chimes perfectly. Did I lean into the Nordic/cold trope? Can't escape it. Four stars.
Really bizarre music, but in the best way possible. Such unique and interesting songs, unlike most anything I've heard.
7/10 This was a bit of a grower for me, and I also think it's one of those vibey albums that would really hit the mark in the right headspace, and wildly miss it in the wrong one. It's got that indie electronica sound that feels a bit like a mix up between Björk and Alt-J, but with a dash of Boards of Canada thrown in for good measure. All good things, and when you let it settle over you, it creates a very satisfying atmosphere of sound, but just never quite hits the heights of any of those acts. This isn't about big hooks and choruses, and if anything, the lack of those just leans into the unresolved tension that drifts over the whole album. It's got a throbbing heart that pulses away underneath it all and a sparse quality that allows a lot of the sound design to weave it's way in and out of focus in a pretty satisfying way. It has lulls here and there, it's not entirely consistent, and it doesn't have any individual songs that would draw me back in paticularly, but as a vibey whole, I think it's pretty good. It's cold, it feels fairly bleak too, and it really captures an almost cyberpunk feeling of darkness and depression. It's the soundtrack of a side character in a Philip K Dick novel who's having a really shitty life, and I guess that kind of thing appeals to me when I'm in the right mood. If I Had A Heart - A slow build of a track that broods and pulses. It's very soundtrack worthy and the vibe is nice, and it works great as an atmospheric intro track, but doesn't really provide it's own hook and just throbs along. When I Grow Up - Another atmospheric grower of a track. There's a bit more going on with the vocal, which moves things along. Some nice synth patches and lines here and it does gain a bit of momentum near the end, but it takes a long time to get moving. Dry And Dusty - Similarly to the last track, this is pretty sparse and then slowly builds and fills out. It never gets that thick, but there are some cool little bits of synth programming here and there. It never feels like it does more than create a vibe though. Seven - This is a bit fuller and has more of a traditional song structure. It's still got a laid back subtlety to it, but the drums give it that bit of drive and zip. It maintains the uncertainty to the sound and never feels fully resolved, but that's part of the sound of this album really. Triangle Walks - The increase in rhythmic interest continues with this track. The push and pull of the different drum sounds create a nice shifting bed that undulates beneath the tonal sounds. It's got a satisfying vibe that still seems determined not to commit to resolution in a solid hook. But that's a vibe that I quite like in the right situation. Concrete Walls - The warbling, drifting synths and vocals here create a slightly unsettling sound. It's like something between Múm and Boards of Canada and that drifting broodiness works really nicely. It's musically quite simple, but the sound design and atmosphere make it. Now's The Only Time I Know - This goes back into a more structured form. It's a bit Björk lite, but without the payoff of a solid chorus. I think the fairly relentless rhythms lose a bit of the eeriness from other tracks, which takes away from the intriguing vibe. I'm Not Done - I quite like this one, it's a bit more of a traditional structure, but has a pulsing drive to it that pushes it forward, and the ambience is good. Keep The Streets Empty For Me - Another slow, pulsing effort. Some of the distorted synth tones that wave in and out are great. It doesn't do anything vastly different for it's duration, but this is all about the creepy, dark vibe and I really dig it. Coconut - It's got a decent enough vibe to it, but it's not as dark or consistent as previous tracks. The lack of vocal for the first half makes it seem a little more repetitive, and it's a long one too. When the vocal comes in, I feel like it pulls together a bit better though and I was quite enjoying it by the end.
What a treat! I used to love The Knife and didn't even know this existed. Will relisten.
I had no idea who this was but then immediately recognized the songs. This album used to get a fair amount of KEXP air time. Super weird and very cool.
Really cool electronic stuff. Sounded quite a bit like bjork but cooler and a bit more bareable. 4 stars
Mystisk og dronene stemning, pakket ind i en god vokal men på et lidt langt album. Det var godt nok til at jeg ville dele det med mellemste barn.
Det kan klart noget. Der er en lækker, lidt mystisk stemning. Og vokalen er dragende. Men det bliver også lidt meget af det samme på et lidt for langt album.
These are nicely layered and atmospheric electronic songs. I quite like the Bjork style vocals but probably wouldn't say they are the highlight One thing that constrains my enjoyment is I have a bit of a feeling that these songs leave you wanting more.. at times I expected a progression into a heavier beat and a track to kick in, but then they all just end. Maybe that's a good thing, I'm not quite sure. I was between a 3 and a 4 and the closer left me feeling like this is great background music, or soundtrack. So it's a 4
This electronic album is darkly atmospheric yet deeply captivating, built on pulsing synths, icy textures, and hypnotic rhythms that create a strange, intimate world. The distorted vocals add both mystery and emotional weight, blurring human warmth with mechanical chill. While its pacing and moodiness can feel heavy at times, the production’s depth and the haunting sense of character make it a compelling, immersive listen that rewards patience.
hey it's that girl from The Knife and Roykksop
Experimental pop record that relies heavily on atmosphere but still remembers that chord progressions matter. Against sparse synthpop backing tracks, singer Karin Dreijer weaves complex but hooky vocal melodies into a compelling whole. Only misstep on this record are the pitch-shifted vocals which appear here and there - they come across more like a gimmick than an innovation.
Loved this. Great mix of genres. Adding to playlist
Worth 4* just for If I Had a Heart. The rest is pretty good, too, but I'll need to listen to it again. Evocative of a particular mood, which is pretty cool in and of itself.
I’ve listened to Fever Ray’s later stuff, the ones after she shaved her head and started looking like a demon. I enjoy those later albums but this one might actually be my favorite. A much darker mood and more sleepy (in a good way)
"Fever Ray" is the debut studio album by Fever Ray, alias Karin Dreijer of Swedish electronic duo, the Knife. Electronic pop is the Wiki-listed genre. That works. Fever Ray is the lead vocalist and is responsible for the mixing, production and recording of the album. Christoffer Berg, Val Rivers & The Subliminal Kid also help out with the mixing, production and recording. The album wad lauded by critics and, commercially, it reached #90 on the UK chart and #10 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Chart. The album opens with the first single "If I Had a Heart." Echoing, droning synths and bass synth notes. Fever Ray on vocals as well as male sounding vocals accompanying her. Dark, haunting. A song about death. The tone lightens up on the next song "When I Grow Up." Jungle-like beats and a looping synth melody. She wants affection and is haunted by her childhood. A echoing synth fade ends the song. A dance beat and bass synth melody carry "Seven." Layered beats, echoing vocals in another good song that builds. "Triangle Walks" combines electronic handclap and Caribbean/African percussion beats. Synth notes get louder as the song progresses. The song that I have heard the most is the wonderful "Keep the Streets Empty For Me." A slower beat. Prancing synth notes, almost guitar like. Fever Ray sharing vocals with Cecilia Nordlund in a duet of sorts. A song about endurance and survival. This music is electronic, trance-like, sometimes dance, sometimes not dance. Long synth notes, atmospheric, stark, nice melodies that build. Yes, electronic but great imitations of real instruments. Fever Ray has a coldness and haunting nature to her voice that may have to do with her accent but is enhanced by the music making this both compelling and very interesting. This is a really good album that got better with a repeated listen. This album is worth checking out as are her other two solo albums and Knife albums.
I like electronic music a lot and this was a good mix
Had no idea what to expect going in but this was a good listen. Somehow dreamy but still abrasive. More electronic than synth. Vocals are beautiful. Definitely one of those "glad I'm still doing this project" moments for me.
Unique and interesting
Keep the Streets Empty for Me gets mentioned as the highlight in several reviews and rightfully so. Not everything on the album matches that high and even that track is a bit too long for my taste, but nonetheless a really cool album. Rounded up 3.5/5.
Nada que decir, la tipa es una genia. No decepciona nunca. Pero, pero, pero, sentí que casi medio disco sobraba. Nota: 3.8
It’s like if Björk and Kiki Rockwell had a weird little baby
I really liked this album, very dark and atmospheric. Obviously, you need to be in the right mood for a listen! Never heard of them, but I'm definitely going to investigate.
I quite enjoyed this, I’d take it for another spin! Edit: I came back to this after a few days and loved it even more! I realised where I knew the first track from, its in the opening credits for the tv series 'Vikings'. I really loved how deep and dark and moody this album is - totally don't get why this is rated so low by so many - open your minds!
Totally missed the Fever Ray wave when I was deep in the indie renaissance of the late '00's early '10's. Obvious Bjork comps aside, really like a lot of the instrumentation here, wonderful production even if I don't always connect with the vocal choices. 3.5/5
More or less good electronic album. I liked it's calm atmosphere I think there's a lot songs with that atmosphere.
Really dig this record. Not sure if I had ever listened all the way through before. It was nice to do so now.
good
W sumie to bardzo fajne. Szczególnie dwie piosnki, ale to też widać po liczbie odtworzeń. Ciekawy klimat płyty, taki elektronicznie gęsty. 4/5
The knife just under a different name and chilled out. Love The Knife, love this.
Classy, inventive and catchy electronic music with lots of interesting lyrical content. The Nick Cave cover was an added bonus.
Wow what a darkly curious album. It’s a grower
Weird album but I felt compelled to come back for a 2nd listen. Should mess with my algorithm!
I wasn’t crazy about the Swedish dark pop wave that included this when it first hit but I’ve come to really appreciate it over the years.
What a lovely little treat if an album. The comparisons with Björk (I heard the lyric Way Down With my pixie lord) are unavoidable. There's elements of moody dance like Sister Bliss from Faithless or Everything But The Girl. I enjoyed it very much, although it was a bit too dirgy at times.
8.5/10 I’m always in fur anything by a Deijer (The Knife’s Silent Shout had better be on this list) so of course knew this from when it first came out. Really nice stuff, picks a dark brooding vibe and goes with it. Production is immense, with the keys almost becoming synth pop a couple of time. Trademark pitch shifted vocals are spot on. Not perfect, some of the track sound pretty similar to each other. Best: When I Grow Up
Interesting album. Standout ruined by being adopted for a theme tuned
The music is actually really good - but the vocals are batshit insane!
Had no expectations - pleasantly surprised. Dark, electronic, very atmospheric. The artist is one half of The Knife who made Heartbeats.
Good
I like the pacing of this album - deliberately slow and plodding. The vibe bleeds together.
If it wasn't for the lyrics, some of which were truly inane, I might have given this album five stars. It does sound rather like a Bjork album with more conventionally structured melodies, but I just couldn't listen to those lyrics on a frequent basis.
One of those odd albums that just resonates with me for some reason… discovered years ago but had been awhile since I revisited. Still good. Still weird. 3.75/5
I read that this was Swedish Electronic music and was initially very sceptical when I put on my headphones. I was so surprised that by halfway through the first song I was really enjoying the sound and by the end of the album I was sad it was over. Really cool layers of sound to this album, minimal in parts and super complex in others. I'm not entirely sure what it's all about but I like it!
Was introduced to this album by some friends a few years ago. Remains a quality listen. Keep the Streets Empty for Me is one of the most haunting songs ever recorded. Worthy addition to the book.
Gear: Moondrop Variations Artwork: 😎🧙♀️⬛ Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎭🌌🖤❄️🌿🔮 Rating: 🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛/5
3.5
I do like this one better than their 2023 album by slight bit. Still, I seem to have the same overall feeling. I really want to like this better than I do I feel like in the right mind it could be at least a solid four-star album. This album to me works best when it almost has that Depeche Mode dark Moody synth-pop feel coupled with almost a Tegan and Sarah like vocals. It seems to be the songs where they manipulate their voice to a lower register that I feel disconnected to the feeling of the song. I think all in all I do semi enjoy the album but I'm not head over heels over it. (7.8) ★★★½
I've only been a little familar with Fever Ray, but have heard some stuff from Karin Dreijer's other project, The Knife. It was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't into some of the vocal processing, but other times it worked, most notably on "If I Had a Heart". The album is dark, but also strangely catchy. Highlights for me were "If I Had a Heart", "When I Grow Up", "Seven", and "Keep the Streets Empty for Me". 4 stars.
Interesting
Rating: 7.5/10 Chill electronic vibes.
Songs were bit hit or slight miss. Overall I really like the music and am trying to find which songs to buy
I liked this way more than I thought I would from its opening seconds. Kind of Bjork-influenced indie rock. Would definitely let them watch my plants.
I'm getting a strong Björk vibe with this artist. Really cool and intersting mixes going on here, and I recommended this to my teenager too.
Interesting stuff. Reminds me a bit of Bjork, but much more laid back and ambient. There's enough going on, I think, to reward multiple listens. 4 stars.
It was a pleasant surprise to get a Fever Ray album on this list. I had listened to some of their more recent albums and enjoyed them but hadn’t heard this one before. It’s really good!
It was cool, I’d listen to it again which is something I wouldn’t say for a lot of the electronic stuff in here.
Sometimes life gives you weirdos, and I love it when those weirdos are weird like Fever Ray. I didn't find out about Fever Ray or The Knife until very recently, but I love all of their stuff that I've heard so far. 4.25/5
I never spent much time with this album, but I loved the latest album, Radical Romantics. Coming back to this, it's kinda similar but it's maybe a bit too minimalist. I still enjoyed it quite a bit, but not as much as I know I could have. 3.5/5
Good shit. Perfect late night music.
I'm a pretty big fan of a lot of The Knife's earlier works, especially 'Deep Cuts', just a great balance of experimentalism and accessibility in contemporary electropop. I feel similarly about this record for the most part, it certainly feels slower and darker than a lot of those the Knife records, with these heavily effect-drenched vocal layerings paired with these spacey, futuristic, and atmospheric synths that feel intangible on a lot of these tracks. It's really enjoyable, because while the music here feels much simpler in the grander scale of electronic music, it still manages to feel just as evocative. I personally really liked 'I'm Not Done'. Karin's vocals are an acquired taste, they're high-pitched and melodically unpredictable, her lyrics dream-like, but it shouldn't take more than a couple songs to "get" how well they complement the much slower, and hypnotic music backing them. Lyrically she's great, I really loved 'When I Grow Up' and 'Keep The Streets Empty For Me', maybe my favorite song on the album which has Karin dialing it back a bit with the vocals. A very airy and dreamy record that's still very easy to slide into, one of the greats in modern electro/synth pop.
In 2009 I appreciated this album, but didn't really connect with it, and today I feel the same. I enjoy Scandinavian electronic music, but the likes of Bjork has a warmth that is missing here. Fever Ray is icy cold.
What did I think Fever Ray was? Not this, anyway. And that's for the best, because my heart sank when I got this. I think I thought it was like La Roux or something. Anyway, it's really good fun. It's not ground-breaking or life-changing, but I played it three times in the day, so it had to be doing something right, right.
This was fun, weird little guy (positive) vibes and I like the distorted vocals.
I may have already been primed to like this by If I Had A Heart, but I don't know, I enjoyed the sound of it!
This was kind of strange, haunting and cool. I've never heard anything quite like it. I really like the atmosphere it creates, and the lyrics and instrumentation are super creative. Fun discovery!
This is what I like
I've always loved this album. Walks the line between being catchy and being ominously menacing really well.
Sucker for a bamboo flute and mallets.
This was an unexpected banger. Mostly unexpected because I thought they had me set up to listen to Sugar Ray and that's what I was expecting
Reminds me of Gåte. Surprisingly decent! 4/5
It's a pity that I haven't heard it earlier.
When I saw Swedish electronic, I had a hunch that I wouldn't really like this but it's actually pretty good The music is layered, and there's more to peel back but I appreciate the subtleness of this album, it would've been quite easy to make these songs overbearing and too busy by just adding a little more to them. If I Had a Heart sets quite a moody tone that remains throughout, it's got an eerie quality that I imagine would suit winter really well There are some pretty synths on tracks like Dry and Dusty that remind me a little bit of Depeche Mode's mid to late 90s sound. Triangle Walls is also sort of reminiscent of something Peter Gabriel might do I'm not crazy about the vocals at points, but I don't hate them. It didn't feel like they always matched the intensity (or lack of) of the music, like the first minute of Seven, which felt slightly jarring. I prefer how they sounded on Concrete Walls, which feels more in keeping with the tone of the album The higher registers remind me of Bjork, who controversially, I'm not a very big fan of. Now's the only time I know I actually quite liked them though, maybe because they stick to a lower key that I find suits their voice a bit better A pleasant surprise Highlights: If I Had a Heart, Concrete Walls, Now's The Only Time I Know
bella scoperta. un'occasione per aggiungere un'artista femminile alla playlist.
Good vibes. I like. 4 stars.
Плохо вник в альбом, но понравился. Скандинавский вайб.
Good vibes. I like. 4 stars.
I found this really interesting because it's unlike anything I've heard before. The beats wouldn't go amiss in the trip hop scene, Karin's dreamy vocals juxtapose the dark and mysterious atmosphere of the album. The nonsensical lyrics add to the overall theme. A really nice record and I'm glad it's on this list Only reason it doesn't get a 5 is it's repeatability factor. You have to be in the proper mood to enjoy this one, it's not something you can just put on at any point in the day. And for me, I can't see myself being in the mood for this album a whole lot, but I will definitely be revisiting it at some point
I like cinnamon buns. I like coffee stronger than tar. I like home distilled spirits that destroy your brain. I like both too much and too little sun. Basically, I'm spiritually Nordic, and so this is obviously great.
Un re viaje dark-pop. Ganas de descubrir más
I really liked this dreamy, ethereal ride. At times it was quite gothy and other times just a ride with the fairies but I wouldn’t hesitate to revisit it.
I dig
There were some really cool songs here, but also some weird ass songs.
8/10
Immediately recognisable because of Vikings, although I had no knowledge of the link before listening to this. An interesting collection of songs that have been put together beautifully. the album improves with every song
Suffers from following Silent Shout. Karin is still one of the most unique musicians doing it.
I never listened to Fever Ray before. I can see myself coming back to this album.
Love the vocals on this album, which is not something I expected to say on a electronic music album.
I had no idea what to expect, and enjoyed this quite a bit, actually.
Great debut record, killer sound and an amazing voice
Dark, moody, electronic. I recognised that specific intonation from the Knifes cover of Jose Gonzalez heartbeats. I enjoyed this.
I have liked and listened to this since "Vikings" used their music. I love it although I have to listen to it alone since my wife thinks I am ramping up my torture room when this is on.
Honestly, this is what I wish Bjork always sounded like. I love the dark, electronic music. 4.5/5
Ok this was cool, it was brooding ( I may actually add the opening track, If I had a Heart to my Halloween playlist because it’s just so creepy and haunting. I was aware of Fever Ray and she is definitely more talented and interesting than her So-Cal Brother Sugar Ray. 4 stars
Not a huge fan of the singing but the underlying beats are excellent.
Good stuff if you like that Scandinavian beat ala The Knife (of which Karin is half of) and Royksopp and Bjork. Just wild out there sounds and lyrics but it all gels together nicely...
Solid electronic dream pop from half a Knife, with more experiments to come on her following two records.
Both more fragile and claustrophobic than early The Knife albums, Fever Ray proves without shadow of a doubt that they can go it alone - and do it just as well.
fucked up late 2000s club music basically lol
This album was really cool. Very relaxed overall, but there's always a lot happening. Not a huge amount for me to say, but I've reviewed over 1000 albums at this point, so I don't have much to say in general 4/5
This album creates a very specific mood, it's dark and cold and sparse, and it's devastatingly wonderful. It reminds me of David Bowie's Darkstar, and maybe he took his inspiration from this. Keep The Streets Empty For Me is definitely the favorite.
January 15, 2025 HL: “Dry and Dusty”, “Triangle Walks”, “Now’s the Only Time I Know”, “Coconut” Odd and spooky, not everyday listening, but nonetheless really enjoyed the mix of cold synths and more organic marimbas/xylophones. Either a 3 or a 4 but I’m feelin generous
weird. but good weird. interesting production and sounds. feels very cold.
This is a great electronic album, with rather quirky vocal stylings. The album was new to me, but I like the following two albums, so I was up for this.
I'm back after a month off. My last two albums were both great, but I felt like I needed a bit of a break. One last push before work starts again now. I did not really know what I was getting into here, but I actually liked this a lot. It's like an electronic pop album from this Swedish electronic musician (who apparently is half of Swedish electronic duo call The Knife). I'm terrible at describing electronic music, but it was surreal and almost primal feel to it. At times I got like PJ Harvey and Kate Bush, vibes, but I guess darker? It's certainly not an uplifting album, but it's a bit hauntingly beautiful. The pace is fairly consistent throughout so it doesn't have a ton of "wow" moments, but it's incredibly consistent and still manages to be interesting throughout. There's definitely songs I like better than others, but really strong top-to-bottom. I felt like this was going to be a 3 for sure, but basically every song just kept hitting for me. It's not one that I think I'll listen to often or anything, but it was really well done and enjoyable in an almost surrealistic way. Favorite song: When I Grow Up Other: If I Had a Heart, Seven, Triangle Walks, Now's the Only Time I Know, I'm Not Done, Keep the Streets Empty For Me, Here Before 1/6/25
Swedish electronic weirdness- love it!
Odd enough. Sometimes vocals irritate me sometimes I love it.
Really didn't know what i expected here, but this wasn't it. I think I expected something a bit louder but what we got was some stripped back avante, electro-pop in the vein of Bjork. Individual songs are really pretty if bleak in tone. Didn't have eyes on the tracklist, but really loved how this one washed over me. Keep the Streets Empty for Me was a strong late album track -- very patient and pretty. For me this is a solid 4 / 5. Will come back again soon