Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2010

Courtesy of Playground Music

The cover art strongly hints at Swedish songbird Sofie Livebrant’s musical talent. Looking like death warmed up (and in dungarees!), she’s obviously not trying to get by on her looks. Her songs, created from a template soaked in folk, bluegrass and Americana—not to mention the lyrical inspirations of Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath and Charles Baudelaire—seem born old. The high lonesome sound of “Alcohol” is more like a lost recording from Appalachia than something from present-day IKEA-land. With a voice that evokes comparisons to Alison Krauss and early Joni Mitchell, Livebrant is able to tackle songs from a number of interesting angles. On the wistful and moving “I’m Yours,” she trills and pleads, soars and whispers against the gently throbbing instrumental backdrop of country blues guitarist Svante Sjoblom and the heartbreakingly beautiful fiddle of Lisa Rydberg.