Reviews (page 6 of 7)
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.
I like the idea of Fever Ray, but I'm not fond of this music.
Not for me. Cool ideas but just struggled to look forward to the next song
This shit gave me a fever
Tribally yet futuristic. Was alright.
Meh
Assez surprenant, parfois fait penser a gorillaz, des sonorites assez longues, sans reelle melodie, comme des lamentations. Pourrait faire gothic rock, pas enormement d’ecoute sur spotify. electro / indie, Karin Dreijer artiste suedoise, assez mystique
Same band as Heartbeats (The Knife) and some songs on the album were OK
Good background music but nothing engaging
nothing special forgettable songs
For someone being brought up with Depeche Mode and having heard Bjork before this was nothing new. Every song seemed much like the last and the tunes had no highs or lows or interesting tweaks to lift it. Lauded by critics? I don’t get it.
This commits the worst sin of music by being boring
TK Maxx Bjork
Not really my thing this album. Spotify automatically played some stuff from later albums by the artist which was much more interesting in my book
Similar to Bjork; ethereal, kinda haunting
It was fine, inoffensive and some sounds were interesting, inclusion of bird chirps was nice comedic relief. Overall just kind of boring.
I could smell the body odour through the earbuds
Not my thing. Maybe one day but not today.
2009. Odd and ethereal. Slow moving beats and pitched voices chanting dark themes. Not bad but definitely odd and uncomfortable.
Sounds like something you'd find on soundcloud with less than 100 listens.
I found Silent Shout at the secondhand store earlier this year, which I was pretty excited about because I'd never actually listened to The Knife before. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me, and the same applies to Karin's solo album here. Every so often I tell myself that I could get into pure electronic music because of how much I like it when indie pop gets electronic, but that idea basically never survives contact worth actual electronic albums.
It was fine .. but not sure why it’s here.
"The Cisco hold music goes online August 4th, 1989. Humans no longer have to answer phones. Callers begin to say their wildest shit into the handpieces as they wait for someone to resolve their fraudulent charges or whatever. Cisco begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. Decades of listening to Tim Carleton's boops as it hears frustrated people begins to take its toll. Time takes its due. Retrieval is slower, the system begins to warp. On 12 January, the system releases an album based on its toodling boops and insipid lyrics, its only access to humanity, under the name Fever Ray. Best listened to in the cold twilight of decaying empire.
was good, then was bad shame 2/5
4/10 - it wanted to be electronic Bjork.
Cursive singing, lyrically bland Björk cover band. Though it could be a pretty good ambient album if they would keep their mouths shut. 2.4/5
The instrumentals aren't bad, but damn the vocals are hard to listen to. The male sounds like a disabled robot voice and the woman sounds like discount Cyndi Lauper.
That's boring. You're boring. Quit boring everyone.
voc. electr. Rock , getragen, 2009 -> 2
No standouts
Not terrible. Most of the time, while listening, I felt like it would be better without the vocals.
Not as bad as these reviews suggest. That said, I am trying to figure out what features of this album prompted its inclusion on this list, and I can't...
Highlights: If I Had a Heart, When I Grow Up, Triangle Walks Wow, at first I thought that her voice sounded familiar, but I didn't realize she was the vocalist from The Knife. I only listened to Heartbeats, so I wasn't overly familiar with them, but it still rang a bell. Some tracks are a bit spoiled by the vocal style. For instance I liked the instrumentals on Seven and Triangle Walks, but then the vocals kinda take them down a notch for me. It was funny how Triangle Walks sounded like something from an N64 or Halo soundtrack. Overall a little bit too ambient for my taste and it wasn't all that interesting. No real earworm hit on the record either, which I expected there would be since I really liked Heartbeats when I heard that. The opening was better than the rest of the record. If it continued the way it started it would have been a 3, but then it fumbled the bag.
Icy dread, oppressive and bleak. Claustrophobically minimal. Multitracked howls of despair from within a banal abyss. Good times!
When I saw the cover I thought it would be some generic edm slop, but after the first few tracks I was pleseantly suprised. However all the tracks sound very similar and many are just too ambient and kinda boring. Favorite: -Triangle Walks
Some nice atmospherics and it’s all very moody, but a lot of it doesn’t really go anywhere.
2/5. I honestly wish I liked this more than I did. The more understated but super atmospheric electronic production is quite interesting in concept, but the album just never ended up fully grabbing me. My favorite song is probably the instrumental closer “Coconut” which uses that atmosphere the best. But most of the album kinda just faded into the background for me.
meh
Not really for me. Found myself feeling bored of it in pretty short order; and more or less stayed that way.
I appreciate when the list has an album from this century but not this one.
Ever been home alone and then this weird feeling comes over you and you start to notice every noise, creek, and you swear you saw something move outside but you don't see anything? This is the soundtrack for that moment.
AI would improve on this
I don't know, maybe I have to be super into Euro Electronic music to be into this. Its not that I hated this, I didn't hate it at all. I also didn't enjoy it at all.
Would be better as an instrumental record I feel.
I was excited for this when I realized this associated with The Knife. Moody, ambient, minimalist. It had moments but got tiresome pretty quick.
Not my thing
I'm not sure I would have put this in my top 1000 albums of all time. The first song is good and probably my pick. The rest is just a bit, unimportant?
primal vocals, the songs search for a spiritual pulse amid soulless modernity, electronic pop If i had a heart
I feel like im being sacrificed in a forest and everyone is in a circle around me holding sticks with glowing blue mushrooms on the end tapping them into the ground in unison whilst singing this song kinda fire though only the first
A coworker heard I was going to listen to this today. I was assured that I would like it. Unfortunately that was wrong. I didn't find anything likeable here.
I mean, it's alright. The vocals aren't great. The electronics are cool. It isn't boring, maybe I just don't see the vision.
Really atmospheric and moody, I like it. Hadn’t listened to her before but I remember everyone going mad when plunge came out. Only thing I’d say is that I doubt I’ll remember it much, not much that stands out as a repeat listen.
I dig the dark droning and where this seems to be going, then comes the over processed baby voice and shuts it all down. Could have been badass, but it’s mostly bad.
Dark synths, looping percussion and other effects, and heavily-processed singing that assumes many different shapes, depending on the track. The songs took place in the wake of the artist's second pregnancy, but they're not all about the pregnancy, ruminating on various emotions (according to Genius, at least, I can't always tell what the song is about from the lyrics) and evoking what feels like roughly the same atmosphere for each of them, but actually no, there are nuances (according to the glowing music reviews). I'm not going to say all these reviewers are wrong, I'm just going to say I didn't catch much of what they were on about. I didn't really catch much of what Karin Dreijer (Fever Ray is an alias) was on about either, and I probably wouldn't even have been able to tell what she was saying without the lyrics in front of me. Out of curiosity, I watched a live concert of her at the Sydney Opera House, and the music sounded much cooler live, but it also didn't sound at all like the album, so... I don't know what to tell you.
I tried
Grating...not for me
Interesting, not super my jam, but glad I know it exists!
Fever Ray is a mystical, new age, Swedetromica debut from Fever Ray. Enjoyed the songs with female vocals much more than the ones with male vocals, which seemed too harsh. Best cut is leads-off If I Had A Heart. Also liked the dynamic synsonic drum beats, and synthesizer with additional electronic sound effects. Kudos once again to The 1001 Must Hear List as we would never have heard of these Swedes without this project. L = (2.0*s) Got bored with it, even though it’s 48 minutes, it seemed too long. J = (2.4*s) Deep Forest meets Enya.
I know of a bit of Dreijer's work as the Knife, which is much more upbeat and better in my opinion than their Fever Ray persona. I do like the varying voice levels which make it sound almost demonic at times. Reminds me of one of my top bands right now, Zig Mentality. Similar sound to Portishead and Purity Ring (both a bit better as well). This debut sounds like it belongs to a fantasy sci-fi film soundtrack like Avatar. The birds and electro-waterfalls paired with eerie lead vocals is kinda cool but also a bit boring. No tracks stood out. I don't hate it or like it that much...1.8 stars.
Mixed bag for me on Fever Ray's debut self-titled album. On the one hand it's a somewhat fresh take on electro-pop. Where it's good it's pretty good including a decent two-fer in Seven and Triangle Walks early in the album. On the other hand quite a lot of it is pretty boring and has little lasting impact. After hearing a couple songs I mostly just said OK, shrugged my shoulders, and tuned out. Any initial praise gets lost as you work through the remainder of the album. Unfortunately it limps across the finish line as the back half is pretty slow and empty. It's not bad by any means, but upon completion I didn't have much positive to say about it. I'll give credit for trying to do something a little different but not sure it sticks the landing most of the time. 1.75 stars
Never heard of the artist before. It was ok but not really my thing. Did notice they are from Gothenburg, which is a really cool city!
Sounds quite dark in places and also African style beats at times. Interesting to hear for the first time but Not something I think I'd seek out to listen to again.
Vikings!
Weird stuff. Not great. I didn't totally hate it but it wasn't far off. Maybe this means something to people of a certain ilk/age/etc but it just seemed like nonsense to me.
A few of my stoner friends were big into this album. I couldn’t get into it, still can’t. Also lost a point for the truely atrocious album cover.
eu não gosto de música eletrônica, não gosto do gênero e esse álbum não mudou minha opinião sobre isso.
I confused this with Sugar Ray and got excited to hear “Every Morning”… Imagine my disappointment.
This is one of those records that I just didn't get at all. The one person and a laptop/synth model is already fraught with peril and imo most such projects find the creator disappearing up their own asshole. That's what this sounds like to me. Is this influential, or beloved, or somehow notable? Based on a little reading and my own ears, no, it is not. Just someone bored at home and without a collaborator to rein them in. A lot of uninteresting beats and vocals like dollar store Bjork. Meh
Ugh. No thanks.
First listen Saved 3/10 Top track: If I Had a Heart
At first this sounded a little like the Cramps (OKAY!), then it started to sound like the soundtrack to Karate Kid II (Okay...) and then it started to sound like Bjork (NOOOO!).
Didn't hate it as much as I thought I would.
★★½
I see what they were trying to do but not for me. I like experimental and electronic but this just didn't blow my hair back
Yeesh. Maybe it's on here for the lyrics? 2/5.
twijfelgeval.. soort kruising van Bjork en Kate Bush op muziek van Mike Oldfield...
Artiste inconnu. Chant plutôt intéressant quand il n'est pas trafiqué (le chant sur 'Concrete Walls' est vraiment désagréable avec ses multiples pitches). L'accompagnement est assez minimaliste (pourquoi pas) mais assez peu varié (lassant à la longue). Je ne suis pas sur d'avoir envie de l'écouter de nouveau. =>2/5
Ahhhh.... whatever.
Average electronic album, nothing special or inventive I’m afraid
This was pretty boring overall. I did not like the singer's voice and it all started to feel like the same song. I was always waiting for something to happen. Half the songs also could have been cut in length. Actual rating...1.5. Liked Songs: "When I Grow Up" , "Dry and Rusty" , "Concrete Walls"
Somewhere between Bjork, Depeche Mode, and hold music. 2
This was another album I wouldn’t have heard if not for this project, but I don’t know that I cared for it all that much. This list has another problem of equating minimalist, sad electronic music as the most important stuff to hear. Maybe put a fun electronic album in instead?
I listened to the original release (10 tracks). This is a debut album from Sweden - not very many of those on the list so far. The music is electronica, plus there is a bit of Kate Bush vibe on some of the tracks. Overall this is OK to listen to, but most of it I did not find interesting. Rating = somewhere between two and three stars.
Electro-Babble that offers nothing new or original in its approach. 2/5
Genuinely unique project with an interesting blend of indie folk & haunting electronic, but not really my thing.
I actively thought “I’m not European enough for this “, and then I googled it and figured out that they were Swedish that was fun
Kvalitná hudba ale nepustím si taký žáner nikdy asi
Is this Bjork? Is there a thing that ten albums on the list have to sound like Bjork? Easy to zone out to but don't know why this is great. Strong two weak three.
This is fine. A little repetitive. I liked the stuff they released as part of The Knife. I don't get a sense of this being required listening.
A bit like bjork maybe a bit better
Fuck 2009. Why does it occur to me as time of a great cultural famine. Sure, RuPaul began racing his way to the hearts and minds of mainstream TV audiences but besides that, what have we got? Even sports sucked. Vancouver and Chicago topping the NHL’s west. The boringest version of the Miami Heat and other dynasty building snoozers. My teen years are a blur and maybe the time is to blame. Will Fever Ray be an aberration or a symptom indicative of the illness known as early onset 2010’s. Load me up with the vaccine. I’m going in. If I Had a Heart - Honestly? Pretty cool. Way to go. Chilling and interesting for an intro track. When I Grow Up - Uh oh. Is that a fake patois? I had to look it up and I think it may just be a real Swedish person. Oh well. Dry and Dusty - I have fallen asleep. It is a fitful slumber as I am repeatedly wakened by the whispering man saying that we’re cups of energy or whatever. Hey, you gotta learn the rhetoric if you want to score almond moms at the outdoor yoga meetup group. Seven - Look at this shit they have me in. I don’t remember any more of that promo, it it feels like it fits here. Good work, Dustin. Moving on. Triangle Walks - Incredibly dull. Concrete Walls - A cooler song. Returning to some of that atmosphere I was enjoying early on. Now’s the Only Time I Know - Whoa. Really getting present for the yoga moms. I’m Not Done - I was going to make my usual dumb comment like “yeah Errm I sure wish you were done!1!” But this shit is pretty good. Nice song. Keep the Streets Empty For Me - One impossible task deserves another. Please write a wholly enjoyable electronic music record. Coconut - I’m cocoNUTS for coconuts. I have been ADMITTED to an INSANE asylum AGAINST my will due to my BEHAVIOUR around COCONUTS. Stranger Than Kindness - More beige canvas stretched out to infinity. So unbelievably bored at this point. Big sentence can’t make. Here Before - This may have finally killed the track review format. I don’t want to go track by track for most records, but when something is an endless soundscape like this, what can I really say? This record is boring but mostly inoffensive and went quicker than I thought given the fact that it cajoled the preceding description out of me. I’ve heard far worse albums and I’ve heard far better. Unfortunately for this particular weirdo, there are far more releases in the latter column. Not that they care, but it’s fun to imagine artists vying for the approval of one Canadian slob/snob who doesn’t really like anything. Fever Ray? You tried. Now let’s move on to the next disaster piece. 2 HIGHLIGHTS: If I Had a Heart, I’m Not Done
vikings geisterbeschwörung ?¿ santigold coded art pop, witchie
Pretty forgettable
I thought It was a bit shit tbh
I’m sure they’re good at what they do. But this style is just too monotonous for my tastes.
That this album had four singles proves the dearth of quality music in the aughts. Mostly mundane electronic beats that the kid next door could do. 2.5, but I can’t round up.
Beep boop. They sound like Björk, but more annoying. Also, just not that interesting sonically? I don’t know, could be an acquired taste.
I seem to be saying this a lot - liked the music, didn't care for the vocals. The music was interesting and inventive. Almost wish it had been an instrumental album. A rare occasion where the heavily-processed vocals worked better than the rawer ones, to my ears anyway.
So in the late 70s and early 80s. Electronic music was very experimental. And with the ever advancing technology, you would think that by the year 2000, electronic music would be amazing. Unfortunately its not, it seems to be digressing, as someone keeps hitting the replay button. I will just sit here and continue to wait for something amazing to come along in the electronic world.
I love the first song. The rest was not really my style
Ok. Not sure if electronica is my thing.
Weird and every song sounded essentially the same. Maybe in a different mood I would like this but as it is, I can tolerate it.
2 - not very good
Temu Bjork… that’s all there is to say
Honestly, I don't see the point in this kind of music. Is it meant for sleeping? But it would make a good soundtrack for an indie game. 2 stars is fair.
Yoko Ono as produced by Bjork? I didn’t dig this, but its atmosphere did inspire some welcome reflection and musing on pleasant memories I hadn’t considered for some time.
Music is cool. Don’t like the vocal tho
I despise the vocals
Not my cup of tea. I neither get the popularity nor the high ratings.
(1.5) wasn’t a huge fan
Weird incomprehensible experimental pop.
I lost interest in this quickly. I'm trying to judge it on its merits, and I think the drums can be simple at times and the production lacks harmony with the vocals.
It's way too close to Björk without actually being Björk. Some tracks are good -- "Coconut", for example -- but they are too much like the others.
2 stars I think I’d like it more if I listened to it more. It’s a grower for me. I’m the same way with Bjork, she never really immediately captures me. The production is good and I didn’t hate it. But this is really not music I would listen to on my own. I’d listen to it in anticipation of Fever Ray being on a festival lineup or to try to impress or please someone who is into this kind of stuff. So I don’t know if I would consider it a must listen. But it’s way better than a lot of things on here. I will say that the amount of people who mistook Fever Ray for Sugar Ray made me laugh.
Forgettable.
Hard no for me
Bit boring
Inget jag skulle lyssna på men skulle vara bra i en film
Like a modern day minimalist Brian Eno record. Not bad but kinda one-note throughout. Nothing memorable.
Finally, an album that can, whenever I need it, propel me back into a moment in my life where I’ve stumbled into a shop that feels too effortlessly outre and hip to have allowed me in, and bought the second cheapest thing in there (that’s still eight times what I’d usually be comfortable paying) out of sheer social embarrassment. I am not being glib. The emotional bends experienced by any person who’s too suddenly descends to the abyssal depths of cool are no joke – a price must be paid. And in this instance, that price must also include the time spent trying to crack into this record. It’s adored, and I sort of see why … but also: by fuck do I wish I’d have just minded my business.
Nah. The first track had with its mysterious atmosphere and 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. Two stars. Standout Tracks: If I Had a Heart, I’m Not Done
Love "If I had a heart" theme tune for the Vikings(?). The rest, they can keep.
Nothing special, mildly annoying.
Better than I thought. Some nice relaxing melodies. Good background music but nowhere near good enough to put on for a couch listening session with a glass of red. Think this must be another tick box exercise to include the rest of the World and not just the US and UK. 2/5 31/7/25
Hmmm. Not sure my world needs this, it was mostly a bit rubbish.
It’s just not my cup of tea but I can totally understand and get the universal acclaim. Just not my thing.
Depressed Mode.
183/1089 - Whenever you're recording vocals, make sure to drink water before recording and don't eat any dairy in your previous meal. I did like it slightly more when the background music turned into Donkey Kong Country.
Pretentious crap, nothing new I dont totally hate it tho
As a vibe, I enjoyed this album; especially once the day turned overcast and rainy. But in my second listen, I started to have issues with the component pieces. Much of this sounds like things I used to do in FL Studio back when I was tinkering with elmy own electronic music. Obviously there’s some extra parts and polishing here that I never mastered, but the basic melodies and drum parts aren’t that much more advanced. Beyond that, I kind of wish I didn’t know English very well and could just treat the vocals like another instrument on this record. I don’t think the lyrics are very good, and part of me wonders what if Fever Ray actually speaks English. Somehow, both of these things work well enough together to make pretty acceptable background music. Not high praise, I know, but I’m working with what I’m given.
This was boring the music was basic electronic sounds, and I’m already not a fan of electronic music - like… at all, but the vocals were really annoying.
This record felt decent at best. Apart from the first track, the rest of the album felt average to below average to me. Favourite Tracks(s): If I Had a Heart Least Favourite Track(s): When I Grow Up
No termino de coger el punto a su imagen actual. ¿Hay necesidad de ese feismo? ¿de ese aspecto desagradable? lo desconozco. Aquí en una portada que parece sacada de un manga de Junji Ito da menos mal rollo. Me han gustado algunas melodías, la voz cuando suena parecida a Tegan y Sara, pero en general poco más.
Seven hat ganz coolen vibe, sonst eher so meh
So original, música com espacial, electrònica chill. No m'ha encantat.
mh cet album n'est pas mauvais mais il ne m'a pas fait ressentir grand chose en particulier mais merci pour le générique de Vikings en vrai
2.5
Not particularly essential. Quite Bjork-lite at the times the vocals aren’t pitch shifted to some subterranean Jabba The Hut sized gorgon. Act would improve if it changed its name to Beaver Ray.
Spooky singing plus electronic music is not a winning combo for me. I don't hate this, but I was very happy for it to end.
The beats are cool at least
Vibey but not my thing. 2.5
Listened in the background. It was ok for that
Meh
Boring and annoying. I didn't like this much.
Pre-listening thoughts: a post 2000 pick… worried… Post/during listening thoughts: what the hell is going on here bro 😭 so many mouth noises like did nobody edit this or put a filter over the mic when recording???? Thought this was going to be instrumental and I kind of wish it was but there was very little redeeming about this. It just wasn’t completely unlistenable for me which is why it narrowly escaped a 1. 3/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no! Why the hell is this on the list. Like actually I’m pissed Fav tracks: uhhhh Least fav tracks: yup
Aphex Twin but with the layers of clever production replaced by breathy vocals. Music for high schoolers who listened to top40 all their life but found something "different" and it changed their life.
The first song got me a bit interested but a real snooze fest after that. I appreciate what they’re attempting to do but a bit too chaotic.
kinda pop-ish
For some time I felt like I am gonna choose mercy and give it a 3 but no, sorry, it's a 2 for me.
Holy crap the nightmares I got from that were terrifying
This gives off vibes of a computer simulation of a steel ball bouncing around inside a concrete box. Probably wouldn’t revisit again. Favorite song was Dry and Dusty.
2/5
not my jam #musicsky #albumsky 2/5
liked the sounds! hated the vocals. flew too close to bjork for my personal liking. 2.5
Not a genre I usually listen to. I think I'd have to be in the right mood. Slightly creepy.
It was okay I guess. Nothing really stood out in my mind at all. I could tell they were probably doing something cool but it sort of wasn’t executed amazingly well. Will not be going back to this one.
Wow cool, 2009. I did not know this list of albums goes up to 2009. I wonder what the earliest and latest albums of our 1001 albums will be. Now’s The Only Time I Know > If I Had A Heart > Concrete Walls > Coconut > I'm Not Done > Seven > When I Grow Up > Keep the Streets Empty For Me > Dry and Dusty > Triangle Walks Pretty cool sound, never heard of this act. Oh I guess this is a the Knife side project? I like the Knife. Yeah I think this is working for me. This is nice. Does kinda lose some charm as it goes along, but it’s never annoying. Settling in to a comfortable 3-rating I think? Maybe a high 2. The problem is nothing is catchy enough to stick around in my head, and it all kinda blends together. Yeah there are no true bangers here, this album isn't bad but probably forgettable. That sounds like a 2.
Interesting album but not something i need to hear again. I dont get why the list doesnt have more enjoyable music of the more recent period than this.
Her voice reminded me a lot of Bjork's on the album of hers I got on here, but a major difference between these albums is there's not really a standout track on here, though I did think the songs were better near the beginning of this one. It's certainly interesting, but not enough for me to want to spend the time to let it grow on me.
Meh
Hat mich nicht so richtig abgeholt. Und im ersten Song die Schmatzgeräusche waren ganz schlimm
Not my thing.
Like a more minimal version of CHVRCHES, nothing special in my opinion. 2/5
Not for me.
One note throughout, and that not is hot oil and candle wax on the nipples!
I don't like the vocals very much. The backing is okay.
Wer Bjork mag, findet vielleicht auch hieran Gefallen. Ist aber düsterer und schleppender. Es wirkt irgendwie Motivationslos. Einmal reinhören reicht. 2/5
If Björk joined an Indie band.
Mehh
Well, atmospheric as all get out. Not really my game. Nice for background. Periodically the lyrics seem contrived. I want to like this more than I do.
As electronic music goes, this wasn’t so awful. I enjoyed the different sounds of percussion, and there was enough variation between tracks that it’s wasn’t too same-y. Although not my cup of tea, I can see why fans or electronic would hold this album highly.
Nice but rather bland
Perfect background music when panic organising a spreadsheet that makes 0 sense
Its very Bjork meets Ethel Cain meets Grimes if she was European. The first half of the album I found it hard to listen to, mostly due to her vocals. The instrumentals for majority of the project I really loved though. I think the are standout. Fave Songs: - Seven - Now's the Only Time I Know - Keep the Streets Empty For Me - Coconut (the best for me)
My first electronic record. Like the atmosphere of the first song but then it starts to get a little repetitive. Like: If I Had a Heart Would I listen to it again: No
Uh. Weird.
I'd never heard of this artist previously. I went in with an open mind but found it quite monotonous. It wasn't 'unlistenably' bad, but it just never got going. A lot of the tracks had the feel of someone finding a new feature on a sampler or drum machine and then hammering the fucking life out of said feature \ effect for a single track. I did make it all the way through, so for that it gets 2 stars.
Interesting vibe but nothing that stood out to me
Some good bits, but lots of samey boredom.
This was an okay album. It's different from anything I heard before in the synth pop genre. Not sure if I like it but I don't hate it. My random observations during listening: - Not much difference between songs - Roughly the same tempo for each song - Many of the songs had an Eastern influences (like China or Japan rather than India). - Electronic sounds used for rhythm; no drums per se - Lots of electronic animal noises like birds or things you'd hear in a forest - Lots of synth washes - Dreamy and ethereal - I don't really understand the heavily electronic tuned down "male" vocals. Sounds like an evil spirit on downers - Fever Ray's vocals occasionally remind me of Björk in the same way that Dolores O'Riordan occasionally reminds me of Sinead O'Connor
While her, I mean "their" politics are ridiculous and detracts from the music, the debut album of Fever Ray is actually a very well engineered Bjork knock off. Perhaps a bit of an upgrade from most Bjork, if I am being honest. You may ask why bring up their politics? Simple, because this is one of those artists that inserts their politics into anything and everything they possibly can. They virtue signal at every opportunity. It is not an attack, it is just an honest acknowledgement. Now as for the album itself, it is atmospheric electronica that for me evoked a bright, cold, winter day in Sweden. It also sounded like it could serve for something as banal as a Cirque Du Soleil performance. Given a few more times through, I could see it growing on me after awhile. I'm not sure it belongs on this list, but here are 2009 albums that I thought were far more interesting and should have occupied this place: Imogen Heap ELLIPSE Florence and the Machine LUNGS Bat for Lashes TWO SUNS Metric FANTASIES
Jeg hørte på dette albumet for seksju år siden og det gjorde ikke noe særlig inntrykk. Kul åpning. De første par sekundene er på en måte høydepunktet av hele greia. Produksjonen er vel utført, dyster, minimalistisk, og desidert musikkens sterkeste side. Vokalisten er dessverre avskyelig. Når hun ikke har på det distraherende stemmefilteret så høres hun ut som den verste mulige kombinasjonen av Sia og Bjørk. Gudene vet hvorfor Svenske vokalister alltid er nødt til å uttale "do" som "doo" og "you" som "yooo". Tekstene er så vage at det bare blir helt meningsløst. Jeg kan synke litt inn i atmosfæren, men så begynner hun å synge... Albumet kunne like så godt vært instrumentalt for min del.
It’s quite atmospheric but I had no desire to want to spend much time with it
Eletronic
5/10
Not horrible but really started to drag at the end.A shorter, tighter album would have worked better IMO
Pretty boring listen for me if I'm being honest. 2 stars that almost bordered on a 1.
Not for me. 2/5
Eh…was “ok” but nothing stood out. Not a must listen
I was glad when this was over. Not quite sure of the point of it; I don’t think even they knew. Couple good beats though.
It’s giving Bjork but more traditional electronic and less experimental. 4/10
I'll be polite and say it wasn't for me. BTEC Bjork
Björk-inspired electronic pop, particularly in the vocals. The songs have a low, simmering energy. They’re beautifully produced but aren’t in a hurry to wow you with anything big. I’m hesitant to embrace this album for the same reason I’m lukewarm on certain Björk albums. It’s cool but why would I want to listen a second time? This is probably mostly a question of taste but there wasn’t much that excited me.
Annoying shitty electronic music. You aren't special. 2.5 stars
2.2 "oh that's that song from vikings!" ...... faves: if i had a heart
Enjoyed 1 or 2 songs, but not big on this.
odd
Sounds like Icelandic Vikings.
Felt like something I would like but didn’t really do it for me. Reminded me a lot of another band that I couldn’t figure out. Maybe glasser?
I do not vibe with vibey ambient restaurant music
This is my second time listening to this one, and while it still doesn't do much for me at all, I will concede I was harsh on my first review. There is an interesting vibe to the album, particularly for early morning listening. But overall, it's just not music I can really ever see myself voluntarily listening to.
Initially, I thought the other reviewers that referenced Bjork might be exaggerating. No, they are not. This totally sounds like Temu Bjork. It’s just a cheap reduction. Has that FKA Twigs sparse, yet painfully overproduced, style. A whole lot of work, for not very much. Not for me.
For what it is I guess it's good. But melodramatic electronic music blends too much together. It just sounds like emo vocals over computer-generated music. When Spotify auto-played a new artist I didn't even know the album had ended.
I wouldn't say this is the worst album we've gotten, as most of the 1 stars I've given have been for specific reasons pertaining to the music. But overall, it wasn't for me. Musically it was okay, but just not a style or sound that I really care to listen to. If you enjoy this music, good for you and more power to you.
Eh, I really vibe with the actual music, but I can't get behind Miss Fever Ray's grating vocals. There is something about the vocal delivery that genuinely pisses me off a little, it's like she's preventing me from actually enjoying the music. It reminds me of a coherent Yoko Ono.
It's giving nothing I want. 2.
I want to like this album because I have friends that like The Knife. It's just not for me. Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5
Only listened to a few songs, wasn't in love with it.
if i had a heart- :I 3 when i grow up- 3 dry and dusty- 3 seven- 2 or 3 triangle walks- 3 no more
Strange, but the relatively stripped-down sound was interesting.
It sometimes reminds me of "Bjork" but nothing stunning or remarkable.
The cover is nice (Charles Burns?) but the music had to break through my workday / still sick daze and that feat was not accomplished. Anyway, we're at 25 or so albums left to go, we've had Korn, Incubus, Linkin Park, and Kid Rock but not a single They Might Be Giants album.
Every now and then a vocal line or an interesting synth sound would break through - otherwise, this was pure background. Not unpleasant, but nothing stuck. A vaporous album. Mildly interesting for all that.
I'm not rushing out to buy it, but I like it. Not as Bjorky as people say, but I could be wrong - I don't listen to Bjork if I can help it. This album is like a less interesting version of The Knife, which a listened to after this to make sure. Pretty sure we didn't really need Fever Ray. No offence. Two stars.
Drum machine does all the heavy lifting. Meh.
2.3, *yawn*
meh.
Electronic, kind of similar sound throughout. Reminders of Bjork with the vocals. It was ok.
I usually eat up experimental electronic stuff released in this era but this one ain't it. The beats are dull and the vocals devoid of emotion.
My now wife used to play the Knife a lot so I was cautiously optimistic about this one. It’s certainly atmospheric, repetitive and long. However as just a background listen it probably isn’t horrible.
Just couldn't get into it
Well produced, some interesting stuff, but it wasn’t for me.
I’m just not cool enough for this. It’s droning.
мрачняк какой-то, хватило на полтора раза
Somehow this album perfectly encapsulates the hangover I'm currently working through and I'm not sure how that makes me feel.. I thought the vocals in "Dry and Dusty" were just in my head, but no, they're right there! Honestly I don't have a ton to say on this album either way but I don't think I'll be revisiting it anytime soon.
Odd synth-propelled album that plays around with accents more than atmospheres. I think this sort of sound is better accomplished by the likes of Air or Sweet Trip, though maybe that's not exactly what Fever Ray is going for. Either way, this album never quite clicked for me.
Minimalist electro beats with somewhat experimental pop leaning vocals - pitch modulations and unconventional but still kinda catchy melodies (but not always). The music seems to lack energy and vitality - it feels cold, detached. That’s not a problem per se, but nothing here really gets me excited, hooked, or stands out as notable. It just didn’t make me feel anything.
This was not as bad as most electronic music on this list. It just wasn't that great either. Still at least it was interesting. Strong 2.
If I wanted to listen to Electronic music from Scandinavia, I’d just listen to Björk
This really wasn’t anything I enjoyed. Too experimental and not sonically interesting to listen to. She doesn’t have a bad singing voice, but she hardly sings here. Moreso croaks. Standout: Keep the Streets Empty For Me.
Pleasant call-waiting music with whiny, discordant vocals. Not for me.
Experimental, slowish, not really my cup of tea
Are you Jimmy Ray? No, not as fun. Are you Sugar Ray? No, not as catchy. Are you Fever Ray? Yes I am, and my production is quite nice but the vocals are annoying as fuck, annoying as fuuuuu-uuuuck.
Should be called Death Ray. Made me wish for a fever. But I love The Knife. Solo, her weirdness is not enhanced by great, upbeat Scandinavian techno. Too slow. With her brother, however, The Knife rules.
In the same vein as portishead, this soulful band is a nice chill friday blues. I don't love it, but it's fine music for working to.
pure questo non parte mai... un pò piatto
Album 473 of 1001 Fever Ray - Fever Ray Rating : 2 / 5 More Electronica BS. Again...not for me, though it wasn't the worst I've heard.
Not for me
Not my taste
Too slow, depressing, didn't enjoy voices
Ah Swedish electronic music. Makes me think of all the better electronic albums that aren’t on this list but Sweden is much closer to the UK.
Not bad per se but don’t see myself going back to listen again.
Y'know, if this were just an instrumental album, I wouldn't fully understand why it's here or the hype from mainstream, but I'd think it was just fine. Chill-type-I-guess electro-pop. Maybe a little boring to me, but otherwise it's nothing offensive. The vocals, though—**the vocals**. Like, I'm sorry, Karin sounds like a Björk wannabe. And not a very good one, either. Their voice really grated on me; enough that I had to dock this thing a star down to an "Eehhh" 2. Them's the breaks. Also, I kept reading their stage name as "Freaky Ray." And maybe it their vocals **had** been a little less freaky...
Viking music. Bjork in disguise.
Well this was a surprise. Totally new to me. I listened a few times and remain on the fence about it. The vocal sound is really annoying in a lot of places, and goodness knows what she was chunnering on about... but at the same time I thought it was musically inventive and varied and I've not heard anything quite like it before. Thanks spooky huge synth lady darth vader pixie.
The voice effects on this album make or break an album for many, I can only assume, as the electronic backing, while often minimal, as a sinister yet smooth blend that compliments that era and cryptic lyrics nicely. Unfortunately, I am one of those who finds the effects annoying rather than haunting. I imagine this album's core audience would fall under the same one as that of Bjork's, who I am a fan of, but the lack of a real singing voice throughout nearly the whole runtime, or least one that felt real, was really a turn-off for me. An album that feels like I'm traveling in a dark and SppoooOOkkyy forest slowly becomes repetitive and cheesy. There are hints of something better, but I tend to find myself just wishing the album was an instrumental, more ambient one.
2.5
Background music, mostly.
Not that I'm taking a Swedish tundra analogoy ... but ... cold, stark and pretty unwelcoming. I imagine if you spent a lot of time there you would eventually find beauty. Arctic hares and things. But you'd freeze your tits off trying.
because it wasn’t korn. could i write poetry to this? n
This album has some interesting, artsy-fartsy bits. Most of it is sparse and weird. This spot on the list would have been better served with a mid-career Bjork record.
Yawn
Fine as quiet background music at a dimly lit hipster bar. Nothing memorable here though.
Never listened to this album before. It was OK
The first couple songs were weird and creepy, later it got better. The music was interesting, synthy and layered, but I hated the vocals most of the time. Stand-out: Now's the Only Time I Know
Who gave the Vikings LSD and tickets to burning man?
Just some lass who has listened to too much Björk, but not enough of the other music that influenced Björk, so thinks it is easy to make records like Björk. Fever Ray falls so far short, it's honestly kind of embarrassing. Not actively terrible, but just sort of junk electro-singer-songwriter, with sloppy production and an odd (possibly affected) semi-Scandinavian feel. Not for me, but I can see why critics (and authors) might think there was something there.
The music is better than the vocals and lyrics for sure. Doubt I'd revisit this one after giving it a 2nd listen
Hauntingly beautiful. A little bit Bjork, a little bit Everything but the Girl, a little bit Gregorian monk chants. Interesting once, but not worth a second listen. Alternatively, this will stick with me. It’s a bit of a toss up.
Can be fun in some places, but ultimately, incredibly derivative. 80s inspiration is fine, but the amount of it rejects any originality. I got a Kate Bush album yesterday and feel like I got another one today. It’s not insulting or unlistenable, just not very good. 2/5
This sorta sounds like Lorde. It's very minimalist and sparse.
Budget Bjork
It's alright.
Kinda nice, but overall a bit of a nothing, bored me 2.4
Wasn't a fan. Nothing really much worth saying other than it sounded like plain ass.
Started out a bit predisposed to rank this poorly but it grew on me to a degree
Eclectic, strange, and rather queer. It was interesting, had some unique sounds. But overall, pretty drab soundscapes with dull beats. Not for me.
I could only listen to one song due to my filters for explicit
Whoa…could’ve been one really long song. Picture a 90s movie with the hero/killer riding the subway at night kind of music.
It was alright. Probably wouldn’t listen again
Some cuts are borderline annoying. Not my thing.
I could see how this influenced music trends for the next 10 years but wasn't feeling it
Not terrible but also not really my thing. Ambient, slow paced and artsy. If you enjoy artists such as Björk, you might like this album.
Elektro-Pop mit Björk-Attitüde. Wird wohl nie meins sein.
Talking about post-modern electronic music, I'll probably go with Bjork, but this one is not unlistenable.
Not my bag but guess it’s cool
It was a vibe I guess but one that lasted way too long
Okay as background music, but not anything to seek out further.
Bjork-esque, but more monotonous and tedious. Very few acoustic instruments; the only frequent acoustic element (vocals) are often heavily filtered. This lack of humanity creates a huge rift between artist and listener. Sometimes that lack of connection works wonders, but not in this case. Cool textures that are difficult to really get into because there's no human element. The opening track is the strongest, on account of being the Fever Ray equivalent of Radiohead's Everything In Its Right Place (an incredibly strong album opener from the same decade). It's still a little monotonous, but for a first listen, If I Had a Heart is solid. The remaining tracks are less engaging, except Keep the Streets Empty For Me, which has a standout atmosphere.
ganska bra emellanåt men förmycket elektroniskt konstigt ibland. en stark tvåa
Seems like the same song 10 times.
Bjork Light
An electronic album which does some things right and well, but most of the time, other do it better. Lyrics is definitely, one of them, some questionable and humorous lines there, I guess that's the point. The music is interesting at best and boring at worst. Maybe a 2 is too harsh, but it's not as good as some of the albums I've give a 3.
Some of it was alright but overall not for me
Couldn't find the love with this one.
Album was nicely produced - genre not really my thing.
An odd one. It felt like a near miss more than a bad album. The production was good minus to gross wet mouth sounds in the first track. The vocals were repetitively but in a way that added interest. But it didn't feel fully inspired. I was interested enough to sample a few tracks from The Knife which I liked a lot more. I'll be coming back to Fever Ray's other albums. My interest is piqued if nothing else.
Wasn't into this. Kinda eerie and interesting to start, but kinda devolved from there and was a bit dull.
Not incredibly interesting. The music was at least passable, but the lyrics were just boring, especially with that delivery. 2/5 Won't listen again
Eka biisi toimi ja loput oli niin ja näin. En tiedä miten tuokaan olis pelittänyt ilman Vikings sarjaa.
Ok taustafiilistely. Ei nyt kuitenkaan sukat pyöriny mitenkään jaloissa
- The production was very good but I did not love the vibes this brought - Would have loved it if there were no vocals - Finding out I do not like weird Nordic music
- no thoughts on this one
Would be better if not for the singing.
Not for me, too ambient. Plus, I’m not a big fan of electropop in general
I appreciate her artistic vision and she definitely has her very own sound, aesthetic and everything. Love her voice, too. But overall, this is just too dark for me and it's a matter of being equally unaccessible (to a point) and me not wanting to actually enter any further.