Reviews (page 5 of 7)
I've always liked the Knife, but this album never really wowed me. On relisten I wish there was more variety across the tracklist. Still good, but could be better. 3/5.
Grandiose artsy pop. Didn’t really catch my interest.
Absolute respect for their work. Throughout is well-crafted music. Not my style but enjoyed it all.
I am rating this almost a year after listening to it because apparently I didnt rate it at the time....its fine...I wish I didnt have to come back to it
I loved the Knife. I had no idea Karin Dreijer from the Knife is behind Fever Ray until a few months ago. I also liked the show Vikings but always thought the theme song was out of place. They are a genius but this album is dull. I know it is meant to be dark and dreary but you can achieve that with out being dull. something the Knife never where. I did enjoy this album but overall felt there was something missing
Utilizing a bunch of odd sounds. Finger snapping, clapping, spacial beats. These mixed with her unique sounding voice and vocals makes the album a bit more peculiar. Gotta say though it’s hard to make out what she’s saying a lot of the time. 2.8
Music to write a paper in grad school to
3.5 What is this, Sugar Ray’s Wario? At first I just thought this was a lot of weird, gothic ambient shit, and - well, it is, but it really started growing on me as I was listening. This isn’t at all the kind of thing I would say I normally listen to, but I found myself kind of vibing to this - it reminded me of the music to some old school 90s video games in some ways. I mean, it’s also not the kind of thing that I see myself saving any individual songs from (nor do I have any favorites or least favorites for that matter), but at the same time, I really wouldn’t describe anything I heard as unenjoyable. Across the board, I really thought everything felt paced well and that the songs all had a really solid sense of ambience and atmosphere to them. Hell, they borderline had me wanting to paint my fingernails black. Not sure if I’d rush out to listen to this again, but I could definitely see myself re-visiting - it’s definitely something I’ll be keeping in mind come Halloween season.
I first heard this when it came out and I honestly don’t know what my opinion of this album is. Some days I love its ambient feel, and other days it feels cliched and annoying. I think it’s her voice. I need to be in the right mood for it
Quite interesting Electronic indie. Some inspiration from Massive Attack and Portishead here and there, although not at this level. But OK
Nothing much here to write about except that it's just some decent electronic tunes.
I’m at a 3. Ultimately, it’s just fine. There’s some super cool soundscapes here, and the sort of minimalist production being explored here wouldn’t really hit the mainstream for another 5 or 6 years at the least, so that part of the album was fun and felt a bit inventive for 2009. Really, the biggest thing this album has going against it are the vocals, which only really fit around half the time, and the time itself, where some songs just kinda overstay their welcome, or take a little too long to get to the strongest part. There’s not really a bad song here, just mediocre moments within them, which is fine in moderation, but it’s just a little too often to justify anything higher than a 3. Definitely an album I could sleep to though, and I mean that in a super positive way.
Got good in the second half. Wasn't really feeling it at first (I'm not crazy for The Knife or Fever Ray's vocals generally), but cool vibe & instrumentals ultimately made me like this one enough. 3.5/5
Wasn’t really my vibe
Swede as
Not keen first listen, but it was a real grower. A few more listens will see it rate higher and higher I bet, but I need to rate it as of now.
Pleasantly surprised by this. Reminds me of Bjork's sound but more accessible for my smooth brain. I'll need to give this another listen when I'm not running on a treadmill
Some intriguingly deep & dark experimental sounds here. I liked it. The bookending tracks worked particularly well, the opening drone of If I Had A Heart and the closing birdcalls of Coconut got my ears standing to attention.
Enjoyed this one
Very meh the first time though. On the second listen the tracks were a bit more interesting but still nothing that leaves me wanting more.
A solo album by Karin Dreijir of the Knife, produced by Olof Dreijir of the Knife, that sounds a bit like, well, the Knife. Decent album, some crazy lyrics about dishwasher tablets and cool vangelis style cinematic synth.
Never heard of Fever Ray. Nice surprise, very chill.
To say that I'm an electronic genre novice would be a massive understatement. This was way out of my comfort zone that I usually inhabit. That being said this was a surprisingly well done album. The blending of the deep tones with high pitch overtones as well as the pitch change in the vocals made this a pretty unique experience that I'm glad I partook in.
Cool mellow beats, with oddball screechy vocals and lots of voice modulation. Not a particularly pleasant listen, especially with all of the mouth noises, but I found myself grooving along with the dark instrumentation.
enjoyed it. 3.4/5
Kannski er það Gautaborgarblætið í mér sem talar en jafnvel þótt ég sé lítið fyrir raftónlist þá fannst mér mjög skemmtilegt að hlusta á þessa tónlist. Ég efsast samt um að ég muni hlusta á þessa plötu aftur. Eiginlega bara af því að ég er lítið fyrir raftónlist og það eru til mun betri listamenn frá Gautaborg.
Oh shit it's the singer from the Knife. That's cool. Bit too atmospheric for me, feels like the songs never really get going but it's not unpleasant to listen to by any means.
I didn't realize this was by the same artist who was the vocals for the Knife. I can see how it might not be for everyone, but I rather like it.
Still listening to it. Experimental. It's okay so far.
I put this on and listened through three times and I still don't know how I feel about it. There is something that feels intentionally elusive here. Today is a new day and I need to move to the next album; all I can really say about this record is that I am still intrigued.
Dug this more the second time through. Not sure how high its ceiling is, but it could still potentially grow on me further. 3.5/5
It's okay. Chilled album, but thats it really. Again another album that im not sure why is it on this list...
Very atmospheric in a way I didn’t anticipate. Maybe it’s because I was in the middle of doing my little tasks, but I didn’t get much from this, but I could see a time in which I might be in the perfect state for this. Just not yesterday.
Enjoyed this more than I expected
Weird but good weird
Me listening to the first 3 minutes - "this sounds like, nah couldn't be, wait a minute, nah, yeah, nah, VIKINGS." Then spent the rest of the album thinking about how good Vikings is.
I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t this. It was darker. I liked it.
Never heard of Fever Ray before but was encouraged when I heard they were part of The Knife. Not sure what to make of this though. I cant tell if I really liked it or found it pointless. Like it’s very interesting and it flew by, but I cant recall much from it. Regardless I’m amazed this made the list over some incredible yet overlooked records. I think I’ll definitely be back and will likely definitely have an updated score, but for now it has to be a 3.
Best tracks were If I Had a Heart and Now's the Only Time I Know. The tracks with the singing were better than the instrumentals. A hard one to rate, I genuinely enjoyed the two I mentioned, but some of the others (Coconut) were garbage. Appreciate the atmospheric production.
"If I Had A Heart" is an amazing song, I remember hearing it on Breaking Bad and being blown away. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't reach the highs of that first tack. Her singing voice is quite strange but it somehow works with the music, sometimes. Highlights: If I Had A Heart Keep The Streets Empty For Me Coconut
Like it 3/5
Nice sound. Doesn’t seem to go anywhere though
Not really my jam
Nice
Don't actively hate it but I do not really enjoy this. Not something I would put on again but I think I get it. 3/5
joo viikinki populäärikulttuuri televisio-ohjelma skandinaavia paskojen idolisoimista, hyi VITTU!!!. LIKAISET PASKAT!! fennomaanikko täällä heh... kohta tulee suomalaista settiä... heh ei voi aina olla ruotsi...norja....tanska...islanti... vai onko suomi liian kaukana länsimaista, eikö kelpaa... puola/suomi.. not western enough... OLLAAN JO NATOSSA!!!! no on nättejä ääniä on tässä. huoh, kuin jarresque.. eli kuulostaa kuin 70-talet... seven
Never heard of this before. Didn't do a lot for me when I first put it on but I actually now like this a good amount. I think it's relatively bottom heavy which is super rare of an album IMO. Triangle Walks, Concrete Walls, and Keep the Streets Empty for Me stand out a good amount. I surprisingly don't have a lot of love for the main singles If I Had A Heart and When I Grow Up. Both good songs I just don't find them too memorable. This is perfect driving around the city at 2 AM music and I'm very excited to drive again just to put this album on. 6.75/10
Chilled and dark
2.5
It's OK. I know Silent Shout by the Knife and I think that is similar but superior. Mood pieces that rely on the vocal line but often lack any kind of riff/tune.
Seeing a lot of Björk comparisons, which, sure I guess. Less artful, but more groove, which for most days is a trade I'm ok with
Pop sintético envuelto en sonidos oscuros y fríos. En Fever Ray se funden los de cantautor y música electrónica creando un submundo musical comparable al de Björk pero casi siempre más accesible. Me gustan "When I Grow Up" y "Now's the Only Time I Know".
Not really the most special, but it's not bad either
Not so bad as expected and even as I never heard of them, I somehow knew „Keep the Streets Empty For Me“, that I liked before, so a pleasant experience.
Not my kind of music at all, but I could hear it had certain qualities and I actually liked «Seven» and «Now’s the Only Time I Know». The other songs did norhing for me, but I didn’t hate it either, and had no problems finishing it. A weak 3/5
Decently funky
Good
This is cool but I didn’t love it or anything. I always felt like I should have liked The Knife more than I did and the same goes for her solo stuff
Not 100% on the vocals but towards the. End I enjoyed more
Nice background noise - nothing more nothing less
Plinky plonky electro background
lofi beats to be a really cool guy to karin dreijer seems so cool she would work at perfect image with gabe and nicole 3.5 !
Weird and bold and delightfully restrained.
Interesting album. Moody synth music. Reminded me a lot of Bjork.
Dark and brooding, I dig it
More premise than punchline, more tension than release, this is sort of interesting and somewhat haunting and vaguely intellectually engaging, but only sort of and somewhat and to a certain extent, plus too cold and clinical overall, with vibes and tempo and vocals so tonally consistent-to-samey that it turns into a droning slog by the end. Vocals float somewhere between unsettling and annoying. One kept thinking it would turn the corner into full-on NIN menace and unpleasantness or Depeche Mode/Pet Shop Boys frivolity and silliness, so one supposes it coulda been worse and perhaps should be grateful that isn't/wasn't. There’s a real lack of uplift and too little resolution to get this past the dreaded scientific experiment effect that attends so much of this ilk of chill electronica. Best song is “Keep the Streets Clear,” the only one to break out fully out of the drone to fully engage/achieve anything like full emotional impact.
If you are at all a fan of electronic or synthpop music, you have probably already heard this. Simply because this doesn't do anything that other records didn't already do before it. I just became less and less interested in this as it went on. That 47 minute runtime felt way longer than it actually was. I think some aspects of this sound cool. It's very meditative and chill, almost like ambient video game menu music. But it also feels tense and cold. The album cover is purely black and white, and you can almost hear that monochromaticness in the music. And at first I thought there was more than one vocalist, but she just pitched her vocals up and down in a variety of different ways. I thought the vocals sounded nice at first, but after a while, they started to get tiring, and they started to feel like they were taking away from the music, because they aren't amazing. I mean in reality, everything that Fever Ray tries on this record, Björk did like 15 years earlier. I feel kind of bad comparing her to a big artist like that, but this does feel slightly derivative of that style of music. Rating: 5/10
Never heard of em but I kinda like it
Meh
Listened Before? N This was pretty okay for electronic stuff. Kind of mellow, kind of atmospheric. I didn't hate it but I didn't like it enough to listen to it again. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Seven
Not a fan of the vocals. Overall decent musicly
Oh hey it's the theme song from Vikings!! Overall this was ok, I'd maybe give the album another listen. 3.5
Dig the timbre of her voice, i feel like im in the jungle
'Keep The Streets Empty For Me' is excellent. Good album, very listenable. 3 / 5 stars.
While I wasn't a huge fan of the vocals, I did like the instrumentals enough to appreciate the whole effort as a more accessible kind of Björk-lite. Found myself hitting a groove after some initial distaste up front, and I think would be okay coming back for another listen if the circumstances were right. I know Ray gets a bit more experimental and out there on his later releases, and this was a good stepping stone to checking those out.
Un LP bastante interesante, con paisajes sumamente oscuros y étereos de la mano de la ex-vocalista de The Knife. Su sonido es claramente influyente para la electrónica gótica que aparecería en los 2010's, sin embargo, no dista mucho del sonido que logró encontrar con su dúo previo, cuyo trabajo, en mi opinión, es más sólido.
This was fine electronic indie but nothing special.
We can't be far off Sven and Ulrika forming a Swedish electronic duo at this point. The opening track sounds like what I heard in my head as I was popping a whitey on Old Jamaica Rd after Hollie Jenkins cousin laced a joint with fuck knows what. That being said, it's not my thing so I wanted to hate it, but I didnt
Weird but not awful
Weird and kinda interesting
Bang average. Can’t think of anything else to say about it to be honest.
It's good. Definitely not 4 stars good. But definitely not a 2 either.
It's funny to look at the reviews others have left because I have been on both sides of this one. First I thought it was boring as hell, now I quite enjoy it. 3rd Listen. Third time is a charm, because the first couple times I heard it I was unimpressed. This time I really got it and enjoyed it. Can't wait to hear more of it. 3.5/5
Interesting. Hadn't heard this before
I didn't know Fever Ray before. Enjoyed some of it. Should probably give them another listen.
Bit disappointed because i thought i would like it more
Not in my edition of the book! 2009. 3 stars. Bjork clone, which is either a good or bad thing depending on your tastes. Bonus point for opening with the theme song from "Vikings".
Fine
Unexpectedly good, I was anticipating more metal or screaming but it was very soft and approachable with interesting lyrics. Not off putting at all and quite pleasant.
Fine
Surprisingly relaxing
uma viagem o som, criativo, mais empolgante que as últimas recomendações pelo menos
Some interesting stuff in here, felt fresh but much preferred the songs with he female vocalist, felt a bit samey towards the end
This is good - maybe not the best electronic album out there, and devoid of any catchy tunes; but some tracks are really great (some, on the other hand are a bit weired). If I Had A Heart is probably the most well-known song, as it was the Vikings opening tune. 3/5
just like fever ray said
I was actually expecting a cool blast of Swedish electronic pop from one half of The Knife so I was quite surprised by the rather slow and minimal approach taken here. Not that it is a bad thing at all, there is evidence that it is being used to substantial effect. Good way to have a fever, I guess. Favorites: When I Grow Up, Dry and Dusty, Seven, Triangle Walks, Concrete Walls, Now's the Only Time I Know.
Pretty good!
Not bad at all!
Unavailable :( Biork from aliexpress?
loved the sounds but the other songs are just not as good as the first one
Did not expect the stranger than kindness cover
Wasn’t aware of this album, but having watched the tv series Vikings I recognised the first song instantly. Enjoyed this more than I expected and did recognise a few off the album. Good album deserves its place on the list.
Not awful but another one I'll never look up again.
Un diamant de la música electrònica més atmosfèrica, que va sorprendre tothom quan va ser editat. Acaba sent addictiu amb les escoltes. Una veu intrigant i uns arranjaments captivadors que van fer de l'obra una joia atemporal
I was not familiar with the Knife or Fever Ray until their recent album came out. It's odd electronica that will probably grow on me if I return to it
Not really my thing, but this album was actually really cool. I can't pinpoint way, but I dug it. Still - that's not enough for more than an average review.
3.5/5 This was a really weird album, but for some reason I actually liked it. It gives you a kind of eerie mood, but it felt good. I knew two of the songs. It's nice to have some newer music too I think? I feel like I will probably listen to this again. I'm sad that the artist is so bizarre, but who isn't really?
So this was interesting and there was some really good stuff in there. Musically, it was enjoyable and different. I would have enjoyed this a lot more if their voices were better.
.
It was different
C'est weirdo electro. J'ai pas détesté ca s'écoute bien quand meme mais riend eplus. 3
3.5
I’ve never heard of Fever Ray, but the cover seemed cool, so I was intrigued! This album is very ethereal, and I can just imagine sitting in the forest, meditating to it. After reading some info on Fever Ray, most reviews describe it as “creepy”, and “dark”, but I didn’t find that. Afterwards, when I actually saw screenshots of music videos, I can see where the creep factor comes from, and am actually eager to listen again after watching the videos and reading the lyrics-I think my view will change hahaha. Very interesting electronic sound, worth listening to again. Listen again: Yes, after digging deeper into the artist Purchase for my collection: Probably not Favourite Song: Keep The Streets Empty For Me Worst Song: I found something interesting about them all-nothing sticks out as the worst. Cool album cover though!
I don't understand what is happening in this album. Love the cool Donkey Kong Country/Glover/N64 sound. It's haunting and spooky and reminds me of older video game soundtracks. Sadly, I can't stand most of her singing, mostly screeching and whiny. Also, the lyrics are kind of odd and out there, not sure what she is trying to say. People like the first track, I couldn't get over the lip smacking. I'm giving it a 3 because of the instrumentals alone, they are really that good.
Elektronista, vähän ambienttia, tunnelmallista ja rauhallista
Fine thing to listen to while working.
This was okay. Not bad, but not a standout either. Some songs could definitely be shorter, as is constantly the case with electronica, but this is better than a lot of electronica albums I've gotten. I think the first half was stronger than the second half. My favourite song was If I Had A Heart.
Dit plaatje bleek ik gewoon helemaal te kennen. Met dank aan een oud collega die dat blijkbaar veel draaiden. Wel echt eens een andere sound.
Dit was mooi!
Verrassend!
Vikings intro song
Love the production but the vibe isn't something I would come back to
Not great, but fine in the background
Kinda weird but I kind of liked it at the same time. It was alright. Listened to it 1.5 times before I realized I had restarted.
Interesting one this, quite dark dancy-electronic vibes. The Bjork-esque vocals did get on my nerves a bit though.
Ok electronica, nothing good or bad.
This had quite an interesting droning effect. I don't mean that as a negative, but it did tend to lull me to a trance while I was driving, which at the worst is dangerous. Interesting sounds, interesting vocals, and the use of "dishwasher tablets" as a lyric were plusses. However, I also don't see myself playing this one again.
Actually really enjoyed this, despite it being electronic! It was probably the vocals, they provided an ethereal, haunting quality to the songs.
Making the “we have Björk at home” joke might be going a bit too far here-some tracks have an almost sinister air that’s appealing. But Fever Ray is similar enough to Iceland’s biggest musical export that one comes away feeling disappointed for what could have been.
Kinda trippy and foreboding
Not listened to Fever ray before. Deserves a second go.
trancero y nordico, me gusto(ONN,4/5) Tranquilito,guay para currar(LNB 3/5)
interesting electronic indie pop with vocals, predictable, easy to listen to, not super adventurous or interesting, but very easy to listen to. Very dark, minor, bassy sound to all of the tunes on the album.
Big meh from me. Not as bad as I feared but still not my jam.
Cool vibe, no real standout songs but a bit of an experience
i love the knife so going in i had high expectations, but it just felt a bit repetitive and slow for me to get my teeth into
Cool interesting melody’s and electronic soundscape
This is another good record, but another example that this list probably needs to be updated. Not sure that I would rank this anywhere near a top 1000 to hear before one dies
If The XX is top Happy, this is your Album
very experiment, fairly cool
Quite a lo-fi electronica album that almost leans into ambient sound territory. Lots of understated drum beats that permeate throughout the album, whilst unchanging in tempo, acts like a heartbeat for the self-titled debut. Best: Keep the Streets Empty for Me Worst: Seven Note: I only listened to the original track listing
Pretty good minimalist electronic pop.
Not bad, interesting concept and some well executed songs but its takes a lot for me to be surprised by electronic music
Loved the sound, hated the vocals. I know that the main person thinks this is the sound of honesty and that this is them or whatever, but just stop and realize how good the music you're doing this over is. Got grating but thankfully the music keeps me invested in the album completely, nothing sounds quite like it. A worthwhile listen, even if a little grating after a while. A decent record.
Love The Knife. Never knew about this solo project. (2 Swedish albums in a row!?) I like it. More mellow and experimental than The Knife's club-ier beats. Reminds me of Björk projects that came before at times and XX/Beach House albums that came after at other times. Also worth mentioning that this just predates the Johnny Jewel, Drive OST synth-pop phenomenon. Feels like it was likely an influential record. Either way it is a very cool project that I can just sort of get lost in. I especially love the more ambient, languid pieces like "Seven," "Triangle Walks," and, especially, "Coconut." Those tracks really resonate as the leg-stretching work of an artist otherwise known for their dance music.
This album had me at When I grow up I want to be a forester Run through the moss on high heels This was a very pleasant listen as I worked on a late night job application. Some songs that were easy to get lost in, but none that floored me.
Some synth-pop sounds that sounded okay, decent background/soundtrack music for my day. Nothing overly exciting or special for my tastes, but I didn't not enjoy it. Reminded me too much of Bjork, at times and ironically the first song to stream after the album was done was a Bjork song, go figure.
I like the song from Vikings because I used to like watching the series, but other than that I'd say this is a pretty ordinary album that's functional for background duties. And that's it.
Initially, it’s a very nice album in concept it’s like joy division but electronic the lower pitch vocals are raspy but cool/ unique but the higher pitch vocals are horrible like an unlistenable mix of Bjork’s and Alanis Morrisette’s worst vocal qualities (and I really, really like both of their singing) but this album is quite interesting to be honest just could’ve been better. And what a disappointment for day 200 less than half as good as my day 100 (court of the crimson kings) this is a 3/5.
Icy electro burblings with dashes of pop on the side. Best Tracks: If I Had A Heart; Dry and Dusty; Keep The Streets Empty for Me
Everyone should know the Knife. Go listen to the Knife. The Knife is good music. Pop art sensibilities, electronic bang and blast, melodies that are ragged and razor sharp. Go listen to the Knife. Go get some Heartbeats, my person. Go get some. Wait, this is a Fever Ray review? Fuck, ummmm… it is fine. Someone from this band is in the Knife. The first song is a bop.
Sounds like Sia. Glad I listened.
This was enjoyable. I don't really know how to pin it. No track stands out a lot more than the others, Maybe Concrete Walls or If I Had a Heart. Nice textures throughout the record.
Weird but I strangely liked it
The first time I listened to this, I thought it was "When I Grow Old." That really changes the dynamic of the song, actually. The electronica in the music doesn't sound bad, but her vocals just seem so... dull. Even when she makes them lower on "Dry and Dusty." Listening to the last track, my boy asked "Coconut? Why would anyone do a song called Coconut?" So I had to put on Harry Nilsson's "Coconut," which is a better song. Bjork did some work remixing some of her tracks. I feel like she needs someone like that to do more work on this. There's a lot of experimentation, but there needs to be someone there to say "that sounds cool, but what if you did this to it...?" A voice to help her figure out what to DO with her ideas. Electronica otherwise just seems like... noodling. Pass.
This was ok - some good, some bad. I liked the droning, haunting sound of the opening track If I Had a Heart (later on Concrete Walls too). And then I realized that Fever Ray has an annoying voice by the second track When I Grow Up. When her vocals are more front and center (on about half the songs), the songs aren't as good and I struggled to enjoy the beats. Because of her voice and occasional strange beats, sometimes I wondered whether the album was meant to be a spoof - like a Will Ferrell EuroVision thing. The lyrics are also a bit too simple or everyday, not really making you think. All in all, another electronica album that is just meh.
Unexpectedly enjoyed it, atmospheric, good working album
A difficult one. I loved The Knife. This is clearly a more difficult record - cold and wintry where the Knife would occasionally use colour and warmth. But I feel like it would repay you for further listens - but I don't have time to test this in a day! I'll be coming back to it.
Never heard of this before, but quite liked it. The overall sound is interesting, nice gentle electro atmosphere, quite low impact but just enough there to keep me listening. I saw MO at Glastonbury a couple of years ago and that felt very similar to this (albeit a bit more upbeat and with some extra oomph). Would I actually go out of my way to seek this out? Probably not, but it's a perfectly pleasant listen. 3/5
Fyrsta lagið þekki ég mjög vel, hafði ekki heyrt neitt annað. Þetta er þægileg tónlist, ágætis plata.
mi mi mi mi mid
Except for If I Had a Heart and Concrete Walls, I liked this record more than I expected. Which is not to say I liked it very much. It was somewhat interesting vocally.
This was the sound of the times in which is was released. Alarmingly quotidian lyrics delivered with a highly-stylized affect create a contrast with the futuristic electronic track reminiscent of Kraftwerk. See also/instead: Grimes, Santigold, Karen O.
Weird, not terrible and not what I expected at all
Kinda hypnotic sounds, well, they would be but I found the singers voice to grate on me after a while. I appreciate it but it’s just not music that I would listen to, unless I was like invoking spirits or trying to be mysterious.
Veers from tribal dance pop, to Siouxie and the banshees-esque drum machine tracks. Liked it.
Sounds a bit like Bjork: weird poppy stuff. It has it's moments
Ascoltato, carino, nulla di eccezionale, ma neanche malvagio.
I'm not sure if I liked this or not. It's an interesting album, I find the whole thing intriguing really. It has an 80s gothy feeling to it, but doesn't sound dated or out of its time. I'll be looking further into this band. It was an enjoyable interesting listen.
It was nice to recognize the theme to Vikings here. Scandinavian artists just seem to put out the most creative and different sounding albums and this one is certainly unique sounding. This has a Bjork vibe but much more accessible, I quite like it and will check out her former band Knife as well.
Cold electronics, bleak, industrial soundscapes, striking manipulated vocals. (I initially thought Fever Ray was a man to begin with). Definitely interesting, but more of a terrifying listen than an enjoyable one.
I like it, but it doesn't excite me.
Also has a sort of zen meditation vibe to it but with more vocals
Fell asleep but that’s not their fault
This was really cool, great vocals and interesting beats and hooks, but it was quite top heavy imo and I began to lose interest as the album progressed
Not really my cup of tea. Production is well done.
Not bad, but not for me
Interesting but not compelling
Has a really interesting sparseness and darkness to it, and feels reminiscent of Bjork and maybe the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Will have to revisit it later, but a 3.5 that I'm giving a 3
I enjoyed this for the most part, but a little goes a long way. I feel like it probably improves on repeated listenings. Fave Songs: Triangle Walks, Coconut, Seven, Concrete Walls
Interesting music that just about covers up the terrible lyrical content.
Loved the music. Hated the vocals.
Tää ei ollut hassumpi. Kasvoi hienosti loppua kohden. 3/5
Hmm, vaikea arvioitava. Kuulostaa kivalta ja hyviä tunnelmia, mutta ehkä lopulta jotenkin tehotonta tai en vaan pääse kaikkiin biiseihin sisään. Sit kuitenkin noin neljä biisiä todella kovia ja jopa ainutlaatuisia. No heitetään nyt 3.5/5, saattaa joskus nousta.
It wasn't an EDM weekend
Surprisingly not that bad, liked the mystical vibe that it created
Kinda like if Enigma and Bauhaus had a child.
Incredibly dark and oppressing; fantastic production; don’t love the vocals; not exactly my thing but nearly a four
Ah, nice work music - nonintrusive but pretty with slick production. Fav new track: Coconut
Caught me pleasantly by surprise....
I'm fond indeed of this album, which I think makes me a little generous in my assessment. It sounds much less experimental after hearing other music from this list, but is still unique enough to come off as above average to me. But it's music of a certain time and place in its tradition.
That's an experience.
Cool album, interesting sounds. Saved second track When I Grow Up.
Chill electronic pop. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it but was pleasantly surprised. Favorite Track: If I Had A Heart Relisten: Yes
The theme song for the Vikings! Recognized almost immediately. Rest of the album wasn’t exciting.
Al final si me gustó el trip
Some pleasant noises. Trippy. Listened 3 times to attempt to catch the lyrics but was too distracted by the bouncy noises. Would listen again.
I love love love their arrangements. Living, organic percussion that reminds me of Blue Man Group or Gotye (or the Knife, naturally). Confident and conservative songwriting that isn't trying to blow you away but get you slow like honey. But their whiny vocals tire me out so damn fast. When they're not whiny they're in this weird compressed autotune that's equally annoying. Probably real good just one song at a time.
Not bad
Dark horror sound
True Rating: 51/100
Never listened to Fever Ray before. Will definitely return to this album, and check out others. It's a good album for when I'm doing things around the house.
Will likely check out more Swedish electronic.
First song on the album was a banger - it's theme from 'Vikings', and has a terrific brooding, atmospheric vibe. There are a few others songs on the album that come close to that same feeling, and I appreciate the eclectic mix of musical styles on display here, but I can't say I would return to this album anytime soon.
Dark, nice
Not in the 2018 version of the 1001 Albums book. Still listened. Not quite my genre, but an interesting listen. Enjoyed for the most part.
Good to hear Scando music outside of Eurovision. Was gonna give up 3 tracks in but Seven and Triangle Walks are both superb. Turned out pretty good. Vikings is fucking sick.
Really interesting and nice electronic sounds, but I really think this could’ve used more variety and more energy. 6/10
When I saw the genre as electronic pop I was excited for a pre-hyper pop album but instead I was just bored for almost an hour. It’s well-produced and is very atmospheric but it feels so ambient to me. Vocals land somewhere between Björk and Lorde which makes it a shame that there were no moments on the album that highlighted the obvious technical skill. 5
Not what I expected, but pretty good! Strange electronic is always welcome.
Whats that weird saliva, smacking noise in the first track?! I loved the song because of Vikings but I couldn't get over the horrible noise
If there is something like ambient.pop then I think this fits in it. Though the lyrics and the structure of the album didn't caught my attention that much while listening to it, it kept me in a nice place the whole time. I don't think this is anything revolutionary or spectacular but it's nice enough I guess.
very ominous and dark pop would take a few listens to get used to and then start to like first song is in breaking bad 🥶
Although this is classified as an electronic album it is not what i was expecting. There are a lot of synth progressions and the project is definitely production oriented, it doesn’t give off the holistic vibe of an electronic album. It is an album that will take multiple listens in order to pick up on little production cues and the meaning/understanding the lyrics. Overall a decent album, easy to listen to and beautiful production.
nice, spacious, Bjork but catchier, grows as you listen to the album
Some cool production throughout and overall quite a cool dark vibe but overall lacking it hooks, most tracks quite forgettable
Opener is cool - nice mix of electronic and acoustic instruments. Refreshing to listen to something more contemporary too and appreciate the 40+ years of studio improvements in comparison to the first few albums. This opener is a good example of a very comprehensive view of an album too, a real purpose written "opener" Vocal melodies and lyrics in When I Grow Up are crazy and unpredictable. The "Boomerang" bit with the panned noise was class and the lyric about plants were out of nowhere. They're either genius or total nonsense but most importantly, I can't tell. Beats on this album are great, simple but everything that's needed Overall impression: there is a freedom to this writing that's hard to capture. The brother and sister element goes a way to understanding that. The music has aged well too, wouldn't be out of place it released today
Quite cool on first listen, love the first track but was less into the more straight-ahead poppy ones. Triangle Walks is a highlight. Cool creepyness to it. Last track verged too far into sheer repetition for me. Overall I liked the vocal effects and manipulation, and some of the songs connected well, but this also confirmed my general dislike of electro as a genre.
Experimentalnejsi popik
good i could see some niceness in it but i wanted t to become a bit 'harder'
Feverish
pretty weird but cool sound!
Pretty good synth-pop that harkens back to the sound of the 80s.
Each song had a familiar sound to it. Maybe I've heard Fever Ray before and didn't know who it was. My wife recognized the first song as the "Vikings" theme. Not something I'd listen to regularly but it would be good for ambient music.
This album is great ambient music, but not very dynamic. Sounds like really high-level amateur composition with a cool music program. Cool sounds, good music, not great.
Enjoyed
Pretty decent and chill. There were a couple tracks that caught my attention and made me start thinking 3.5 or even 4, but that was fleeting.
An interesting album blends heavy electronic music with a Scandinavian-like folk voice.
made an alright soundtrack to my day. nothing really of note. it was ok.
Enjoyed this more than expected, especially after the second listen. Haunting and sort of creepy in a good way Saved: If I Had A Heart, Dry And Dusty, Concrete Walls
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Concrete Walls Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Sounded like I was attending an Icelandic tribal ceremony 100 years in the future. Cool music, but not for casual listening.
FUCK!!!!!!
💧 trying too hard
Apart, ik weet niet wat ik er van moet denken maar het is niet slecht
Un poco mezcla de pop electrónico con diferentes estilos. Sonido contemporáneo. Voces evocadoras. Se puede escuchar para crear un ambiente diferente. Aun así, no he terminado de enganchar con él.
enjoyed it but not memorable
J’ai eu un très bon moment d’écoute, en travaillant ça s’écoutait bien et j’étais fâchée de devoir arrêter pour aller à un meeting Je lévite stranger than kindness
If I Had A Heart has some cool edge with its stereo panning. Its a cool album but I'm not super into it.
I thought this was pretty good and was genuinely surprised I hadn't heard of it given that I like the Knife. I wasn't in love with it but see it growing on me over time.
Was okay
Tecno. Electrónica.
I was pleasantly surprised by this record. I enjoyed the music style. lots of varying vocal tones, mysterious feels to it. this is good music for soft background listening with the occasional rise in tension and sound (suspense like)
It gets a passing grade because it didn’t totally suck. Had a bit of merit to it, wouldn’t consider it torture to listen to again, but wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it again.
Very cool, very weird. Wish I could have this album back in college when more substances could be involved.
Started off really interesting. I like the voices, and music. The lyrics got a bit annoying. Enjoyed it though, very Bjork kind of feel.
Prob the newest record on the list. Doesn’t really stand out to me as all that special. It’s okay
surprisingly good, the experimental stuff worked for this album
Good album! Resonated pretty well with me this morning. I'm not sure I would actively search it out, but it's solid electronic stuff, and I would listen to it again. 3 stars.
What the hell is this
Cool and laid back
Little out there. Primal, tribal, very sparse. Creepy at times. The phrase "witch house" keeps popping in my head no matter how many times I try to stop it. Favorite tracks: "Seven", "Concrete Walls"
Alright, wasn't amazing
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.
Meh
My favorite review of this album, " Donkey Kong Country Core."
Pretty annoying
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.
3/10
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.
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.
just not really enjoyable
Ay bb bueno ps ya q
Сара 2 Марко 2
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
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
It was ok I guess.
Qué sería? Pop experimental? Realmente costó escucharlo. Muy poco interesante me pareció. 3/10
Pluss: Ikke Gubberock. Minus: Like kjedelig.
It’s not really my jam
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.
Well no.
fever ray porque eu me sinto febril ouvindo isso
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?
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!
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
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
You don't need to be told this is by a Scandinavian, you can tell almost immediately once the album begins.
Teemu Bjork
1.5
Highlights: Now’s the Only Time I Know
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.
I can appreciate this is well put together, musically complex and nicely arranged etc. etc. but i just found it a bit....boring
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Mellow
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.
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