Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Worth a listen Got a little same-y as it went along.
Pleasant driving music
"... I'm not done" Well I am
Electronic Bjork? I'm in Favorite Songs: Seven, Keep the Streets Empty for Me
I'm a big fan of very textured music, so I was very surprised on my first listening discovering such a interesting album made it on this list. The most impressive aspect is how well this record manages to be both dark, atmospheric, accessible and catchy at the same time. What the composer does to achieve this peculiar combination is playing a lot with the incredibly textured synths and voices, creating big and immersive ambiences, adding some really strange sound effects and also composing melodies that are very easy to remember and that get stuck in the head. This formula I think works very well, and that the artist created something very unique. It is cold, big, captivating, memorable, the production is crystal clear and is actually very pleasant to the ear. It is hard to highlight a specific track, but if I had to pick one, I guess I'll go with "Seven", as I believe it has the most catchy choruses, and I actually really like how in the last line of it she changes the scale (or tone, I'm not very sure how it is call), creating a sudden tension and breaking my expectations of what she was about to sing. The only thing I find negative is that some songs can get a bit lengthy, specially the last bunch of , but overall, this is a very cool and intriguing experience.
tremendo que el primer tema sea la introducción de vikingos dps nada recordable muy viajero igual
cool and weird and not necessarily my speed exactly but I really enjoyed it!
Wailing, droning, chanting, whining, but much less annoying than most of the genre.
# Fever Ray (2009): An In-Depth Review Fever Ray's self-titled debut is not an album that invites casual listening—it demands immersion. Created by Karin Dreijer Andersson (of The Knife) in the sleepless aftermath of her second child's birth, the record transforms domestic exhaustion into something genuinely unsettling, beautiful, and entirely singular . ## Lyrics and Themes: The Terrifying Wonder of Childhood The album's thematic core is rooted in a distinctly unromantic vision of motherhood and childhood. Andersson recorded the album during sleepless nights, and that insomnia permeates everything—the lyrics feel half-remembered, like dreams that make perfect sense until you wake . Rather than depicting childhood as innocent, she presents it as a state of partial understanding where everyday objects and domestic rituals become charged with mystery and dread . Songs like "When I Grow Up" capture this perfectly with lines that are simultaneously banal and deeply strange: "When I grow up, I want to be a forester / Run through the moss on high heels" and "I'm very good with plants / When my friends are away / They let me keep the soil moist" . It's a child's idea of adulthood—absurd, specific, and touching . The album finds profundity in the mundane: a conversation about "dishwasher tablets" in "Seven" becomes a meditation on connection and alienation . The recurring motif of wanting "more, give me more" on "If I Had a Heart" reads simultaneously as a child's greed, romantic longing, and a critique of consumer culture . ## Music and Production: A World Built on Contrasts Where The Knife's *Silent Shout* retained a foothold in dance music, *Fever Ray* strips away the club-ready rhythms entirely, emphasising tone and atmosphere over propulsion . The production team—Christoffer Berg (longtime Knife collaborator) and duo Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid—crafts a sound that is both cavernous and intimate . The arrangements are minimalist, often built on just a few elements: a repeating synth loop, a skeletal beat, and Andersson's heavily processed voice . The vocal treatment is the album's most defining production choice. Andersson's voice is frequently pitch-shifted into a low, androgynous baritone—a technique that, rather than feeling like a gimmick, serves to deepen the themes of identity and disorientation . As Slant Magazine noted, this processing transforms what could be a straightforward pop song into something far more complex. On "If I Had a Heart," singing "If I had a voice I would sing" in a monstrously distorted voice becomes a fascinating act of self-reflection . The instrumentation draws from a broad, strange palette of influences: traditional folk and non-Western music, chopped-and-screwed rap, and even the glacial pacing of *Miami Vice* . The deliberate slowness of tracks like "Concrete Walls" and "Dry and Dusty" creates a feeling of torpor, mimicking the sleepless, hallucinatory state of mind that gave birth to the record. ## Influence and Legacy *Fever Ray* established Andersson as a singular artistic force outside of her work with The Knife . Its influence is less about spawning direct imitators and more about demonstrating how electronic music could be deeply personal, psychologically complex, and avowedly non-commercial. The album was widely acclaimed, landing near the top of many year-end lists and earning a reputation as a modern classic of experimental pop . The album's visual aesthetic—the striking, unsettling music videos directed by Andreas Nilsson and Martin de Thurah—was equally influential, cementing a complete, cohesive artistic world . ## Pros and Cons ### Pros - **Unparalleled Atmosphere**: The album creates a consistent, immersive, and deeply unsettling mood that few records achieve . - **Intelligent, Unconventional Lyricism**: Andersson's lyrics are abstract, poetic, and reward close listening, offering unique perspectives on domesticity and childhood . - **Masterful Production**: The vocal distortions and sparse, textural arrangements are used with purpose, not as mere novelty . - **Emotional Resonance**: Despite its coldness, the album possesses a strange, melancholic beauty that proves deeply affecting . ### Cons - **Accessibility Barrier**: The album is challenging and demands patience. For some listeners, the bleakness and deliberate pacing can be alienating . - **Lack of Immediacy**: There are no obvious hits or uplifting moments. This is a mood piece first and foremost, and its rewards are slow-burning . - **Reliance on Mood Over Structure**: Some critics felt the songs could be formless, with the reliance on atmosphere coming at the expense of melodic development, leading to comparisons as "holding pattern" rather than innovation . ## Conclusion *Fever Ray* is not a record to be enjoyed in the conventional sense. It's an album to be endured, obsessed over, and ultimately, surrendered to. It's a masterclass in creating a cohesive artistic vision where every sonic and thematic choice serves a single, singular purpose: to depict the terrifying, beautiful, and profoundly disorienting world seen through the eyes of a feverish, sleepless mind . It remains a towering achievement in 21st-century electronic music.
Album #267 Fever Ray: Fever Ray Fever Ray’s self-titled is essentially just commercially viable Bjork worship, maintaining all of the ice and dissonance of the Icelandic star, whilst cutting back on the experimentation and cutting-edge which made her interesting to begin with. Though I respect Bjork, of course, I could hardly consider myself enamoured with her music, so the poppier Swedish version of her is something that, in theory, I could get behind, since I am especially vulnerable to euro-pop. However, though this album is certainly sonically interesting, its cold atmosphere doesn’t leave a lot for me to connect with, and it doesn’t present enough diversity for me to be interested in a relisten. I can see this album being a revelation for a moody teenager in the late 2000s, but unfortunately I feel as though the album doesn’t do enough experimentation to be considered a good electronic album, and doesn’t have catchy enough melodies to be a good pop album; the result is something which is decent, but ultimately unspectacular. Best Songs: Keep the Streets Empty For Me, Triangle Walks, Coconut Worst Song: Dry and Dusty Score out of 10: 6
A Swedish duo.
I alternated between sort of liking this and finding it annoying. 2.5 rounded up, I guess. Not sure why it's on this list. Was this influential? Culturally important? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Liked it more than i thougth i would, a little addicting. Cool dark electronic sound.
3.75
What in God's green Earth constituted this as necessary listening. Temu Bjork
Not sure what to make of this. Quite bizarre, but I didn’t mind it. 3/5
Rentoa musaa, tykkään. Paranee lämmetessään. Laulaja ja soundi kuulostaa välillä jopa björkiltä.
Super
Sūdīgāks bjork un man pat nepatīk bjork :/
Yeah I already know this is about to be controversial. I’m a big fan of whatever this is. This is what Pere Ubu wishes he was. It’s strange, it’s beautiful, there’s random sounds, I kind of feel like this is SHPONGLE with more vocals at times. This is exactly what I’ve been needing to shake things up a bit. I did think there was actually people screaming around me during the last song (only on the deluxe version) Highlights: Dry and Dusty Triangle Walks (fav) Concrete Walls Coconut Stranger than Kindness
Kind of weird but I kind of liked it. Good noise.
Highkey really fucked with this album not songs that I would just like listen to but I thought it was audibly very interesting
Bjork’s reheated nachos
Familiar but original 4
This isn’t bad, but an essential listen? It’s just a Bjork album, really.
A big The Knife fan, so this had potential for me. Turned out to be quite different from their sound though. I don't know if it's because 'If I Had A Heart' is the main theme for the Vikings show, or whether it's because you can quite easily hear Karin is Swedish that I think this album feels very Nordic. Just some of those wolf-like sounds in 'When I Grow Up', and overall lots of droney sounds that makes you feel like you're in the middle of a forest somewhere. The witch-like album cover also adds to the feel I. The first two songs of the record are clearly the strongest in my opinion. But overall I find this to be a really even album with a high bar. There is no song that really falls completely flat. One critique could be that it's a bit too low-tempo and drone-like. But I still think nobody sounds like Karin; she has her completely own sound and makes it work so well. So it's really fun that this album is on the list, as it differentiates itself quite a lot from the rest of the material on the list, but also from other contemporary albums.
Moody, dark, ambient, electronic. This works really well on dark nights in Sweden. It doesn’t really meet the same highs as ”The Knife” but it still feels like a natural continuation of it. I also think that maybe the next album ”Plunge” is better. Anyway this album is good too. ”If I Had a Heart” is a killer opener. My other favourite track is ”Keep The Streets Empty for Me”. There are honestly quite a few good tracks on here and I find they grow on you on repeat listens. It falls between a strong 3 and weak 4. Being a Swede I’m going to be patriotic and give it a 4. P.S After reading the review here I feel I need to try Donkey Kong country.
Their voice definitely sounds like Bjork, but not so much the music. I wasn't really expecting much going into this, but I really enjoyed it. A very vibey album. Mid 4
I'm genuinely surprised that none of their work from The Knife is on here, because to me that is just as good if not better than this album. But this is still so so good. Certainly not going to be for everyone, but Fever Ray has such a cool and unique sound. Such an exciting blend of pop, electronic, trip-hop and just always fun and catchy. Such a cool abum. Top Songs: Dry and Dusty, Seven, Triangle Walks, Concrete Walls
This felt kind of vacuous and pretentious in the main, like it was trying to be sophisticated, breathy electronic art-pop, but it just lacked any minerals or anything truly interesting or memorable about it. The songs are just there doing their thing until they aren't.
Really weird but kinda like it
I love how weird and spooky Fever Ray is. I had them revealed to me in 2023 via the album Radical Romantics. Intriguing as hell.
No thanks
Again... trying to be objective without being terribly familiar with this genre, I'm going with a three. But I did not like most of this. 3
Different tone than I expected.. not sure I'll listen again but not upset it was brought to my attention.
Хз на спотифае нет
I try not to read other reviews before I leave my own but for one reason or another I read a few and regardless of the amount of stars left they were pretty apt. One said it was 'Donkey Kong Country Core' which sounds like a joke but I don't think it is completely. People who experienced Donkey Kong Country 1 and 2 soundtracks know there are some incredibly wistful songs on there at least as far as the backing tracks. Lyrically it's definitely something along the lines of millennial houseplant-mom becomes a new mom. Combining all of these things together with Shodan-like vocal effects I feel like I should be completely on-board with it. I had already listened to this album and it's hard to contend with the fact that it is approaching 20 years old. Wannabe prestige television of this era really ruined two songs for me. 'If I Had a Heart' off of this album (and Wye Oak's 'Civilian'). Another reviewer mentioned the mouth-sounds in the vocals of that song and I've never felt more seen in my life. They could probably just remix the vocals and cut down on that and it would be a vast improvement. I feel like I want to give 4 stars but this past listen made me feel more critical to the tune of 3. I think maybe I've just listened to my favorites too many times and wore them out.
Better than Coldplay
OH Lord no!
1. heart - 2 2. grouu - 1 3. duzty - 1 4. zeven - 1 5. triangle - 2 6. uuallz - 0 7. time - 2 8. done - 1 9. ztreetz - 2 10. cocunut - 2 11. ztranger - 1 12. before - 1
I enjoyed this more with each listen. I think it peaks with "Seven" and "Triangle Walks," but the whole album does a great job of pulling you into its atmosphere. It's not something that immediately grabs you, but the more time I spent with it, the more I appreciated what it was doing.
For the long dark Scandi nights
pretty artsy
#416 Felt a little like Temu Björk. There were moments I quite enjoyed but all too often it was a bit tedious. Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Listen before you die? ❌ Fave track(s): Keep the Streets Empty For Me Rating: 4/10 ⭐️⭐️
Fever Ray is a fun inclusion, I certainly think it’s a pretty unique sound. I’ve always liked When I Grow Up, but the rest of the album doesn’t add that much for me. 3.4/5
Fun sounds.The pitched-up/down raspy vocals that was in a few songs was kinda annoying but the primary female vocals were nice. I almost didn't have an explicit favorite because the whole album kinda blended together while I was working and helped me focus a lot. I've saved it. Favorite(s): Triangle Walks Least: Dry and Dusty 3.5/5
Fav: Triangle Walks, Now’s the Only Time I Know L: Dry and Dusty 3 Who is the Alpha? For some reason YouTube listed like every song as explicit. Maybe that’s because it was all a little quirk Chungus.
I listened to this on repeat while cleaning. I've listened to fever ray before and remember liking it. I hadn't heard this album before. It's pretty alright. I wish they'd get weirder with it. I like their album Radical Romantics more, it's weirder throughout. W: concrete walls L: 2.5/5
millennial poop music, tho röyksopp was great
Odd one to rate, as the production is fantastic. But the songs with that deep voice are just total misses for me, and it happens quite a bit throughout the album
Dark, electronic pop music. It's ok.
Fine, I guess, but nothing terribly exciting. Fine for background music as I was pulling my workday together
Nothing jumped out at me
Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Todeslangweilig.
Strange electronic music to immerse into rather than dance to, but also too vibrant to quite be ambient It keeps a consistent atmosphere in a comforting way It is a world, and it consumes me
More nondescript naughties fodder. It's OK, but should it be here? Probably not. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆(5/10) Total reviewed : 405 Already owned : 90 Purchased : 21 To buy : 3 Nope : 291
Interesting, atmospheric sound that is reminiscent of Björk sometimes, but also made me think of the Beloved's "Sweet Harmony" that I quite liked back in the days. The songs don't seem to go anywhere and become pretty repetitive, though.
Next level. On some other shit, like another plane of existence. It's unsettling and fascinating, dangerous and inviting. Feels like an initiation ceremony in a strange land. Masterful. Totally killer music.
cool sounds. Not sure how much i actually enjoyed it
Looks like I've reached an internet checkpoint.
Didn’t realise she was part of the knife. The first song I’m pretty sure was the theme song for Vikings. I knew a few of the songs on this album surprisingly, appreciate its moody weirdness. I can see how this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it’s pretty fucking awesome
They do atmospheric very well
Very cool. Love the synth sounds here. It's kind of typical electropop with fairly bare wave synth sounds, but then there are quite a lot of accoustic sounding effects too. Bouncey and Dancey.. And yet mostly not really at Dancey tempos! The vocal style is fun too.
Very unique. Kind of like Bjork mixed with Portishead. Not something I'd seek out or listen to regularly.
Fever Ray I really didn’t care for this. Sounds like early 90’s electronica/ hotel music but with crappy whispering
Some of the vocal production was kind of interesting but otberwise pretty boring and forgettable. I didnt think the songs themselves were interesting. The first song ive heard before, i think in a movie or show or something. Album cover is very bad. 2.7
I don’t even know how to rate this. Like Bjork and lorde with a creepy guy in the background. It was fine.
Woah first album here that I wasn't familiar with that rocked me. Robotic and heartfelt and so captivating. Really enjoyed this one.
Someone said that this is what you hear in cults, and I agree, except the cult has 2016 Instagram edits vibes
I bought this album when it came out, and i really love it. First and foremost it is dreamy music, so well produced. It’s like wandering in a soundscape at times where the elements just give you tingles. Sometimes there’s a minimalistic background and like on Triangle Walks there’s a perfect build up of various elements of sound. All through this Karin Drejer’s haunting voice tells stories, often in a «duett» with herself where their voice is played in a slo-mo filter. It’s really cool. When I think back to when I heard the album the first time, I don’t think I loved all the songs from the start, but needed some time to break it down in my head. Now, I love it from start to finish, and it was really nice to listen through it once more. Favourites: Triangle Walks, When I Grow Up, If I Had a Heart, Keep The Streets Empty For Me, **The original album had only 10 songs. The Spotify link sends you to the US-edition that has 2 extra songs. ‘11. Stranger Than Kindness’ is a good edition but ‘12. Here Before’wasn’t really necessary.
Most def not an album I had to hear before I died. As a matter of fact I wish I died never wasting my taime listeing to this mediocre crap
Confused Fever Ray with Sugar Ray so it was not what I expected. Too weird and creepy for me.
Feel like I might like this. Sort of, reminds of other things but nice BOC vibe to the electronics. But kind of dull after a couple of tracks and this exercise doesn't really allow for repeated listens. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? Maybe! Owned: No, 97/370 (26%) Will I get: No
neat
I’ve been a big fan of the Knife for many years and, though this doesn’t hit the heights of some of their work, it is still an excellent example of Scandinavian electronic music. Dry and Dusty and Keep the Streets Empty for Me are standouts. Since its inclusion it has been removed from the book, which, given the lack of electronic music on the list already, is a bit of a surprise.
I like Karin Dreijer‘s work, and this is a good album, but a bit of an odd inclusion for a ‘must hear’. There’s a lot of space given to the songs to breathe and some of them are surprisingly funky given how slow the bpm is on them. Interesting use of sounds and textures, it evokes a similar feeling that I get when listening to burial’s ‘untrue’ - that strange juxtaposition of being enveloped by something warm whilst it being cold all around.
Dug it all the way through
I think I have been listening to alot of dance / atmospheric / a tad experimental recently because I actually quite enjoyed this?
En personlig favorit! Som att liksom bada i en härlig ljudbild
Konstigt och toppen!
Svenskt, kul! Konstigt, kul! Vet inte jag vant mig vid soundet eller om det är genuint toppenbra men nåt säljer mig helt på konceptet iaf. Super!
Rätt intressant.
Listening to this album made me feel like I was trapped in a Radio Shack in Reykjavik while Bjork made announcements over the loudspeaker. Though I acclimated, I ran for the exit when the ordeal was over.
Raro pero sin gracia
It's alright. Don't love the vocal effects
Sounds a bit like if MGMT made a (bad) soundtrack to a (cool) 1990s cyberpunk PC game. Bonus star for having a woodblock print album cover.
I understand why this album is on this list. Early days of dark electronic music that can be heard in today’s mumble rap. I put off listening to this because I mistook them for sugar ray. Is sugar ray on this list???
Not Optimal
Different, kinda fun. I’d listen again.
2.5
Was hoping for more. Thought there could be something interesting here. I don’t know exactly how to describe this. It’s fine. Really uninterested in it.
A very unique and atmospheric electropop album. This is an album that transports the listener into the music. It's definitely an interesting first listen, but not something to listen to regularly.
Surprisingly listenable for that awful album cover. In 2009 that probably looked really cool but in 2026 it just looks like AI.
Oh Jesus, another album too young to drink or vote. Right out the gate - you're gonna have to sell me HARD to dodge the 1/5 banhammer. Yeah wow, the critics' recency bias on full display here. Do they live under a rock? This is pretty much as generic as loop-based synth-fi gets. Goes nowhere, doesn't evolve, doesn't wow, doesn't innovate, doesn't deserve a mention here. If your simple mind likes chill synth shit like mine does, you won't find this offensive. Hell, you might even enjoy it. But that's not the point of this exercise. This shit ain't changing any lives.
I didn't know about Fever Ray or the Knife, I'm certainly interested now. Intriguing (it stands out as 'different') on a first listen, makes more sense once I've read a bit about it, plenty to attend to on my repeat listens. Lots of keen fans out there, and I kinda get why. I get the Bjork references, I also think Laurie Anderson is a good call-back. This will take more than a day to get my head around. After some passage of time, and no particular desire to revisit, I'm rating it Good, 7/10.
Despite the first song being used in the Viking show, and for good reason, the rest of the album sounds like 90s dentist office waiting room music.
Cool songs and some interesting sounds were used, but all in all unremarkable. I doubt I had to hear this before I die.
Sounds like someone imitating artists that I like and falling short. Leaving in the mouth breathing and tongue clicking is certainly a choice.
Fever Ray! In 2023, I oft cruised Pburgh and blasted her album Radical Romantics. Solo debut is fine...maybe a little slow? Maybe too minimalist? I'm re-listening to RR now, and you should listen too.
Surprised by how boring this was. I think I expected Swedish electronic music to be high energy and crazy but this was pretty vibey. Whenever they used the low voice effect I felt like I was listening to Bon Iver and I was bored out of my mind. I hope that's not transphobic of me. But when they used their natural voice it was very fun and I got to think about Bjork and be happy.
It's okay, nothing memorable but not horrible.
Not bad when it isn't the deep distorted voice. But even then it's just a knock off Bjork. The instrumentals are very good, but vocally not enjoyable enough.
I have heard The Knife before, but they never grabbed me in a way where I made them a part of my rotation. I never knew the singer had several solo albums either. However, this album was a great surprise to me. It reminds me a lot of Bjork and other Icelandic female singers I like. The sparseness of the music with the presentation of the singer really works for me, and I definitely will be going back to her other albums!
Decent
Yep. This album exists. The amazing thing is that the synthesiser promised so much and delivers so little on albums like this. On a scale of crap to garbage it’s crap.
Pretty good. I went into this expecting to hate it as I have a problem with records sans instruments. But then I noted that there was a double bass player involved, hope springs eternal. Some pretty good melodies, interesting sounds, some surprisingly good vocals, this was a really good staring at the sea listen. I have no idea who they are nor their context, but it is worth a listen.
This is delightfully weird. There are things that genuinely surprised me when listening, like the lyrics "We talk about love, we talk about dishwasher tablets, illness, and we dream about heaven." It's surreal and quotidian and full of interesting juxtapositions. I really couldn't predict what would happen next, while remaining placed in a comprehensible framework. I think we can all agree that this album has absolutely no business being on the list, but I dig it. It reminds me a lot of Laurie Anderson; minimal electronics with pitch-shifted vocals and a slightly askew world view, which makes me wonder why her Big Science album isn't on this list? I mean, 'O Superman' is the bomb, right? 3.5 stars, rounding up because I enjoyed listening to it.
Cocteau Twins on quaaludes, this is a style I don’t normally connect with but I found this record strangely mesmerizing. Really benefits from repeat listens.
I prefer her as part of the Knife, but this still captures the cool Scandi electronic vibe
laaaaaamme...
i'd let fever ray look after my plants
Fabulous record deserving of a much higher rating than its current 2.96. Modern electronic offerings are dinged here unfairly. Compared to Abbey Road (yesterday’s record) this holds my interest and brings much greater joy. Several bangers including Seven and Triangle Walks.
11/07/2026 I was surprised by this album... I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it either! Spotify listeners: 717.2k
Did not enjoy this at all. Vocals were annoying and the music, while interesting, was not good. 1.5/5.0: Bad
i didnt hate this as much as i expected. i didnt care for the vocals but otherwise this wasnt bad
Very cool
Ok. This is what I’m here for! Something I’ve never heard of that I’m going to like! I’m excited!…. Uh oh… what is this? It sounds like if Jack White and Bjork did a side project, but Jack didn’t show up and Bjork half-assed it. Is this supposed to be spooky? This song is literally single notes on a synth with 2/4 hits on the zap effect on a drum machine while some creep is whispering in my ear. Ew. This is pretty low effort stuff. I’m pretty bored. I’m starting to think I’m not going to hear anything I like that I don’t know already. Come generator! Generate something new and good! This sucks.
Strangely good
Meh
I’m always leery when I pull an album that has electronic sound. This one was a bit different. Wasn’t my favorite but it was weird enough to hold my attention.
#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.
Chille vibe, maar aan de saaie kant
not bad
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.
The way her voice was produced in the knife was annoying, this is no better. This is music without urgency or meaning.
Playstation 1 sound font ass music
rich in cold Nordic songs. as atmospheric electronic as it is synthpop. maybe more. delicate but not weak. i probably could've enjoyed this more in a different headspace, but it did its job well enough. deserves to be one of the 1001? it's not an offensive pick but i would swap it for Silent Shout
This is okay. I frequently thought I was listening to Björk, who I have mixed feelings on, so it's no surprise I have mixed feelings on this.
My favorite review of this album, " Donkey Kong Country Core."
nice and moody, but a little slow paced for me. really relaxing
Not for me. Probably won't listen to it again. Favourite song was "Keep the Streets empty for me"
If I Had a Heart - 3/5 When I Grow Up - 3/5 Dry and Dusty - 3/5 Seven - 3/5 Triangle Walks - 3.5/5 Concrete Walls - 3.5/5 Now's the Only Time I Know - 3/5 I'm Not Done - 3.5/5 Keep the Streets Empty for Me - 3/5 Coconut - 3/5 A fairly dark and cold album that sounds like Bjork entered the scene about 15 years late. The sound though also sounds like it came straight for the SNES, which helps with the overall theme at points but for me it just makes everything sound the same. Everything sounding the same is the real detriment for me, though with some more variation this could be better. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Triangle Walks, Concrete Walls, I'm Not Done
Odd and dark, I didn't much like it but it was interesting.
Wished I liked it more and I think I did when it came out
Immediately recognized the voice from Royksopp's "What else is there". It is quite unique. Sounds almost breaking.
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.
I was ready to give this two stars, but the more I listened, the more it drew me in. Don't know if I'd ever just listen to this again of my own volition, but glad I gave it my attention.
не люблю такое :(
Painful
Pretty annoying
1. "When I Grow Up" 2. "Seven" 3. "Triangle Walks"
This is exactly what a Bjork album would sound like if the aliens from Space Jam got to her.
raro
Not sure at all what makes this album remarkable and worthy of having to listen to before I die.
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.
3/10
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.
A more mellow electronic music ride than others on the list in the genre. Seven and Now's the only time I know are the standouts for me in rotation. The rest of the album was just nice.
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
Found this a bit boring to be honest. More like film soundtrack than an album.
Meh. I’d rather listen to Massive Attack or Tricky.
von vorne bis hinten atmospherisch. hab nur keine ahnung welches genre oder was man mir damit sagen will. trotzdem geil
I LOVE heartbeats by The Knife so this was promising and I liked it ok! First track had so many mouth sounds in it that it was almost unlistenable to me though which is a shame
It's so slow I might pass out. The thing is, if it were crazy inventive I would be all over it, it really isn't. To me this is just painful and a bit dull. Not all that offensive but yeah, no I didn't need to listen to all of that, one track is enough what the whole album is about. It's about being dull.
Many interesting sounds. Inventive interactions between electronics and the human voice.
just not really enjoyable
Ugh no
It wasn't as bad as people made it out to be
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.
Interesting dark ambience
It’s another one that’s good, but a whole album is a bit much, and some tracks are a bit…dreary?
Ay bb bueno ps ya q
Сара 2 Марко 2
Such a stunning and initiative album. I loved it.
Surprised by this one. I might give some more Fever Ray a go. Was quite enjoyable.
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.
Couldn't get through it - not for me.
It's not such a bad EDM/Synth pop record. I didn't hate it and found myself enjoying it in places. That being said, I didn't find anything that makes me inclined to revisit it.
You're just probably not going to get me with electro pop stuff. Especially one that doesn't feel like it's doing much different. 3/10
well-produced and pleasantly ominous, but perhaps a bit one-note
A foundational album in the 2010s indie synth revival - cool and dark, moody textured computer music with loads of tension that threatens to release itself into a euphoric dance breaks, but is too slow to really trigger the catharsis. Perfect soundtrack for a post-financial crisis historical era where the internet is really settling in as the monoculture.
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
I remember when fever Ray made a live comeback and people were excited. I was like, I don’t know fever Ray… should I? I did a bit of a dive and decided that was not for me. This album reaffirmed that feeling. 1.8
Eh. Didn't hate this, but it also didn’t particularly grab me. I feel like I’ve heard the first song before. The opening notes definitely tickled my brain. Apparently it’s in an episode of Breaking Bad, so that’s the likely source. Oh, and I don’t have misophonia, but even I noticed the mouth noises. Either a terrible recording decision or a terrible studio blunder. 5/10 Decent
Album cover looks AI generated. Interesting listen. Sounds like a worse version of Bjork because you can understand most of the lyrics. High 2.
Don't know if I paid any attention to this album when listening. It is very spooky? But listening to it in a corporate setting is just the wrong setting I guess. Wasn't bad at all, but not something I'd ever voluntarily listen to. I think I see the vision... 3.5/5
Is this really one of the 100 or so most important albums of the 2000s? I don’t think so. Whatever. At least it was kinda unique
first album I do not have the strength to finish
It was ok I guess.
A nice departure from the other albums. Enjoyed it
I really enjoyed the instrumentals on this album. The vocals didn’t always add and sometimes took away from the vibe. I found the male singer’s deep voice was more aligned with the mood on his tracks. I wanted to like it, because it started strong, but definitely was ready for it to be over before the end.
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.
What are we doing here man In what world is this milquetoast lo-fi electronic nonsense an album you must listen to
Maybe I should get into this sort of thing (wrote this after initially writing "this is not for me"). It's creepy and vibey, not anything that jumps out at you or that I'd want to play while driving a car for fear that I'd either be bored or, if not, compelled to drive into a tree. But if I'm just working and thinking about laying waste to my enemies? Maybe. If I'm high and feeling vengeful? Possibly. So, sure, why not.
I’m close to a four…
I don't know what kind of mood I was in when I listened to this, but I was into it
Qué sería? Pop experimental? Realmente costó escucharlo. Muy poco interesante me pareció. 3/10
Pluss: Ikke Gubberock. Minus: Like kjedelig.
psychedelic tribal mix, if you're into that sort of thing
Meine Güte: Wie mit dem Tretroller auf der Autobahn. Langeweile pur und das zu xten Mal.
Very fun groovy synthpop Triangle Walks was pretty good So is Keep The Streets Empty For Me
I've heard of this artist, don't know if I remember their music. Cool stuff. Not for me though, a bit slow with these first few tracks.
It’s not really my jam
I was originally a bit turned off by the genre listing of 'electronic pop' but, much like other albums from this list, upon given a chance, it is actually quite good.
Have always been a casual fan of The Knife, but a whole album of this was too much for me. A song here or there would do me fine.
This was interesting. Something to listen to in the dark or with headphones. Not super entertaining but somewhat mesmerizing.
I will never be in the mood to listen to this again. Even for the song or two that I feel worked. But the ones that did could easily have been on a Knife album. So I should just listen to them.
4.1
This was fine, but each song felt like it was building to a drop that never arrived. But I liked it! The lady singer sounded very familiar but I was able to place who they sounded like. Overall, pretty ok.
This mostly blended into the background and wasn’t bad, I guess it found me at the right time.
Well no.
fever ray porque eu me sinto febril ouvindo isso
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 can’t believe it’s not Björk
I'd not heard of this before listening but I recognised the voice and, like with The Knife, I just couldn't get on with it. Some of the music was enjoyable, but everytime Karin Dreijer started to sing, it spoilt the song for me. A shame.
Dishwasher tablets?
not really working for me but I can see the appeal
The Album is bad, but the opening track is the intro song to Vikings, so i'll give it a pass. time for a new rewatch!
very atmospheric and peculiar synthpop music. it kinda leans towards ambient territory, but it never fully goes that way. vocals are a huge focus here; band member likes to layer their voice again and again in all sorts of weird and wacky ways, digitally altering recordings to make a creepy sounding choir from a single vocalist. really it's more of the odd alt-post-modernist electronic music today, it seems. with the weird vocal stuff and ambient, cold... minimalist production, it's a mixed bag for someone like me. i like some of the soundscapes on certain tracks and some of the eurocentric vocal running techniques, but a lot of it is a wide spectrum of meh. maybe if i'm in a better mood i can fuck with the sound more, but right now... it only gave me so much. it's a solid 3 star.
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.
How have I never heard of Fever Ray? Not only am I one song in and loving this already, it came out in 2009? This was exactly my vibe in 2009. EXACTLY.
mehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 2 stars
The “we have x at home” jokes are often exaggerated for effect. This is truly the exception that proves the rule. Couldn’t finish. RYM: N Saved a song: N
100% escandinavo das ideia não é ruim não
um synthpop bem sutil e soturno, foi melhor do que achei que seria, viu bacaninha demais
Straight away, when starting the album, I was hit with uncertainty. The backing was quite pleasant, keeping me on my toes for how the vocals would sound. Then the vocals finally started.... I am just really not a fan of how they sounded. They didn't give anything to the track that I thought was positive... I would have probably gotten more enjoyment from just the instrumental. Coming into the next track wasn't much better. The vocals were slightly less jarring, but I still disliked them and felt they didn't fit all that well. The non-stacked vocals were a lot more bearable, however, with them actually growing on me towards the latter half of the album. I wasn't even really a fan of the songs themselves, for example, the structure or lyrics. I feel like experimental electronic music has to be done in a certain way to work, and for me, this just doesn't. There is pretty much nothing natural in any of the songs, with almost everything being either electronic or pitch-shifted in some way. There were some standout songs in this album, but nothing that I felt was overly positive. But again, I have to give credit for the instrumentals in a lot of these tracks, and they were almost quite tranquil, only to be soon ruined by the pitch-shifted vocals. For 'experimental electronic' tracks, the instrumentation is a positive for me. However, I will die on the hill that the pitched-down layered vocals in tracks such as 'Concrete Walls' and 'If I Had a Heart' may genuinely be some of the scariest vocals I've ever heard. On some kind of level, though, I think I may like how strange and unlistenable I find this... I genuinely can't tell whether it's great or pointless... Favourite Lyric: 'Lay down for a while, recollect.' ('Triangle Walks') Standouts: Seven If I Had a Heart Dry and Dusty
Forgettable
I liked this. I was pretty sure I wouldn't, but it surprised me. 5/20/26
3.5
4.5
Destaco Seven. Los temas empiezan TREMENDOS Es bueno, sí, pero no es para mí, al menos no qhora. Algunos drops son pegadizos, otros está copado tenerlos de fondo pq no destacan, otros son molestos. Gran trabajo medio dark son el sintetizador ese en la voz y tal. Not my cuppa tea
meh
Never doubt bizarre Scandinavians
Poor man’s Björk is still pretty cool. 3.5?
not my type, vocal too spikey
Just found it a bit boring, tbh.
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.
Big fan of the show Vikings
You don't need to be told this is by a Scandinavian, you can tell almost immediately once the album begins.
ну вайбово мені в принципі зашло
This album was strange for me. When it first started out, I thought I was going to hate it. As I went through the songs though, I found that I was starting to dig what they had to offer. There was a worldbeat aspect to it that just reminded me of what Enigma put out in the 90s. This band is definitely harder and there is more of an alternative bent to it, less of a pop one. But there are enough similarities here. Also, as I was listening, it felt like it was a father daughter duo as the lead singers, though I guess it is just one person doing this? If so, that's pretty incredible. The female vocal styling is much better though. My favorite tracks from this were definitely Triangle Walks and Now's the Only Time I Know. Really interesting sound, definitely worth the listen. Not sure I would come back to it a ton though.
Teemu Bjork
I wasn't too excited about this, the vocals and stuff weren't my sorta thing. But definitely some interesting sounds. The second half of the album really brought me around to it
2 - TERRIBLE
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.
1.5
This one was so fun and interested my but honestly wish there were less vocals. Very pleasantly surprised with this overall
Didn’t like this enough to finish listening
Highlights: Now’s the Only Time I Know
When Karin Dreijer, the driving force behind Fever Ray, released her debut album, I missed it. And when she released her second album eight years later and toured with it, her shocking image so repulsed me that I didn't really want to listen to the music anymore. Time to make amends. The very first song here will be familiar to many from the opening theme of the TV series "Vikings." Overall, the choice is logical — despite the album being primarily electronic, with elements of trip-hop, everything here sounds very ethnic, cold, and minimalistic; a northern feel, in fact. The deep, trance-inducing vocals, so heavily processed with various effects that it's sometimes hard to tell whether the singer is a woman, a man, a child, or some mythical creature, also add a touch of fairytale. Björk used to do something like this, and Aurora would later occasionally do something similar. Not a bad album, need to listen to it again on a foggy, chill morning.
Not for me
This was terrible. I found it bleak and miserable and lacking anything if merit.
A generally solid electronic album. No major stand-out tracks, but also no outright bad tracks, just generally average. 2.5 -> 3/5
2.5 Middling Bjork style art pop, but this has been such a bad week for this project I was thankful that it was at least kinda listenable.
This was so interestingly tribal than I expected, upon seeing the electronica tag. Really cool
Ok
Bit like a mix between Burial and Kate Bush (although not quite as good as either).
I can appreciate this is well put together, musically complex and nicely arranged etc. etc. but i just found it a bit....boring
Couldn't get on with this album when I first heard it around 2009/2010 but love it now.
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 cheated and looked at the Wikipedia page before listening to this because I couldn't really figure out what it was supposed to be. Some of the superlatives from reviews were "astonishingly stark," "baleful,"creepy," "claustrophobic," and "foreboding." I don't get it.
mama im scared...
No me gustó para nada, extraño, sin sentido, dejé de escuchar a mitad del disco.
i just can't get behind the vocals here. i like a lot of the synth work but vocally i just really dislike it. i get the appeal but it's not for me personally
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.
Another day another mediocre 2000’s album that had little cultural relevance on 1001 This one wasn’t that awful, just mediocre, as in it didn’t physically hurt to listen to and it’s somewhat interesting at times. I don’t think anything really brings this one down a ton (no single awful song, really irritating artistic choices) but that’s about all I can say on the positive side I can only take so much of random nonsensical distorted lyrics from some random Swedish person, and the 56 minute runtime of this album was way longer than it needed to be. There is absolutely zero variety in this one, where all songs sound identical, there’s pretty much no vocal range (starting to realize I really, really hate soft whispered vocals), and just absolutely nothing to stand out from the millions of self produced electronic songs out there. The lyrics are gibberish in most songs, so I can’t even give them credit on that side I just really fail to see the appeal here, I don’t think this is irredeemably bad but I’m 100% confident I’ll never listen to this again, since even as far as ambient music goes there’s definitely more interesting music out there
I shouldn't read the reviews on this site before listening to this because someone said it was a donkey Kong ass beat and I can't unheard it Also secret test: send a horse emoji in the group chat if you actually read these reviews lol
Fun fact: Alternate working title of "Swedish Music To Go Insane To" did not do well with marketing test groups. Background noise at best.
This is a really, really boring album. This album doesn't get a 1 because at least it was kind of decent to listen to, but at the same time it did literally nothing for 40 minutes. Overall, this album isn't too awful, but there are definitely better albums to be listening to.
Nah. The first track had its mysterious atmosphere and was filled with neat layered synths. But when she started singing on the second track…it started to go down hill. I love a great female vocalist, but her voice is just grating. Maybe it’s the style or genre, maybe it’s where she’s from, but I just couldn’t do it. I’m happy to say that the instrumentation and musical ideas expressed here are innovative and… interesting. I can definitely give it that. But I just couldn’t get into this past that. Not just because of her voice, either, but because I just couldn’t relate. This one wasn’t for me.
No private session used for Spotify. I had no idea what to expect, but I certainly did not expect the theme song from a Netflix I am currently watching. There might be additional tracks from this album on the show. Interesting album, but not my thing.
This one is a true 3 for me. It's a bit weird and outside my normal preferences, but there's a something factor I just can't put my finger on. I might have to revisit this one when I'm in a different mood.
Tämä oli jännää, jännää kamaa. Siellä oli omituisuuksia. Pitää tutustua vähän tarkemminkin.
Miälenkiintoinen levy, en ehkä ensimmäisellä kuuntelulla saanut tuhottoman paljon irti, mutta menee vahvalle ehkä -listalle uudelleenkuunteluun artisti/levy.
Mellow
so whatever the fuck this is, I think, is exactly the sweet spot of my genre. Immediately enthralled and hardly dipped. Funny vibe for a golden hour drive to the beach for some bird watching. like… Bjork throat singing Kate bush? More give me more give me more! Magpies laughing behind their back! Lay down for a while! Recollect! Morning, Keep the streets empty for me! haunting wowowow definitely one of my favorite discoveries so far!
Incredibly dull music, when it got to ‘I’m not done’, I said to myself ‘More’s the pity’. A bit like Massive Attack in places, if Massive Attack had been told that their music was far too exciting and took out all the interesting parts. Listened to it on a run, big mistake, made me want to stop, not because I was tired, but out of sheer boredom. I’m not taken in by the ‘ooh it’s all mysterious and Scandinavian’ thing either, I’m half Norwegian, I know about Scandinavian culture/winters etc.
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?
medium vaag
This is noise pollution
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”
Like, the first song is good. The rest is pretty boring, or annoying, or just not very good.
Would do bits at Arctangent festival, put her on Bixler whilst Pig Destroyer tear the Yohkai a new one
Good
An album by a Swedish electronica artist I’ve never heard of, who used to be part of an electronica duo act I’ve also never heard of. She’s a BIG fan of using distorted vocals; a lot of the tracks sound like a parent doing an exaggerated monster voice for their child. The songs dragged on and on, a never ending stream of uninteresting minimalist beats and weird mixes. The album was 49 minutes long, but felt twice that length. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. Usually with electronica albums you can at least dance to the beats and sort of zone out, but this was just garbage that had no rhythm. Fever Ray will join the Hall of Shame as my ninth 1/5
Not really sure about this. Interesting, sure. Good, not so sure. Definitely started thinking 'I wonder where this will go?'. But it never really went anywhere. It's different from a lot of the other things that have come up so far but I'm not sure it has much repeat value? The vocals seem weird but in a not unpleasant way but there doesn't seem to be much behind that. Feels a little bit like a novelty.
This was pretty moody. You can hear the 80s influence a bit. Some good beats and a very slight Bjork vibe. (I know, they're from different countries, but both Scandinavian.)
I would have loved this if it were an instrumental album. Because it wasn't an instrumental album, I'm verging on disgust. There were a few Bjorky tracks I skipped. I just can't handle that shit. Exhausting ⭐⭐
I'm not sure why this is so highly rated. Perhaps it's because I'm just listening as background music, but all I took away from this was "aggressively weird". Not my thing.
It faded into the background. There were parts I enjoyed, but overall pretty forgettable.
Man this album is not for me even in the slightest. I actively hated listening to this album.
I like the idea of Fever Ray, but I'm not fond of this music.
absolute dog shit
Very Scandinavian sounding. Hear some Björk influence for sure. Especially vocals in When I Grow Up. Overall it held my attention and I generally liked most of it. Some of it was (especially male vocals) blah blah blah whine and mope. But Not bad for electronica overall. Pretty good.
Not for me. Cool ideas but just struggled to look forward to the next song
Eerie, icy, and rich. I don’t know if I liked it but I can certainly appreciate it.
Feels like i shouldn't be listening to this in April. This is a winter album. I like the Knife, but i've never really listened to Fever Ray. This is good. Not AS good as The Knife, but some of those textures feel like they're going to strangle you. Fun.