The Finnish singer/songwriter Astrid Swan’s new album “Poverina” was released on May 22^nd. It took a while, but my review is finally ready!

It is easy to see where Astrid Swan gets her influence from. Kate Bush, Tori Amos, and she also remind me of the Norwegian singer Susanne Sundfør. This music is pompous with lots of piano and orchestra. Swan is not afraid to experiment with her voice, and she definitely has a good voice. The associations with Tori Amos is quite strong, but I am not sure whether that is a good thing or not. Tori Amos is so special that it is hard to even try to compare her with anyone else. And trying to sound like her could be catastrophic. It is not though. Swan is actually pretty good. Her voice is sweeter than Amos’, and especially ”Rock’n’Roll Blonde” is a really good song. It has so much feeling and power that it is thrilling. Swan experiments with her music, and that makes it exciting!

I get sucked into her world of music. And although it’s the first time I hear the songs, I really listen. The music is right there with you at all times. Ten Degrees/To The North really beautiful and downbeat. It is not revolutionary in any way, you may think you’ve heard it before, but even so, I want to hear more. “The Kinda Tea You Like To Cry In” is a really beautiful song. Swan is not the only one in her genre, but she is memorable, and I will definitely listen to “Poverina” again… and again.

[rating:4/6]

Download "Good Girl" from the album for free:

Astrid Swan – Good Girl (from Minty fresh labelsite)