[review]
Gemini Gemini is Jennie Abrahamson’s fourth studio album, set for UK release on the 27th March. It comes as part of a recent wave of Scandinavian electronica which has been making its way across the North Sea, locating her alongside artists like Sin Cos Tan or Byrta. However, Abrahamson’s vocals take her music somewhere softer, sweeter, and a little more kitsch. Johannes Berglund (The Knife, Owen Pallet) worked with her on the album, and you can see his influence on tracks like Saved towards the end of the album – the more interesting tracks are the ones which take the vocals and her light, tripping percussion and place them over an eighties synth track, lending similarities to artists like The Knife and Desire.
At points the album becomes almost sickly sweet – songs like Dance With Me with their crashing cymbals wouldn’t sound out of place in a Disney film. However, this is rectified on fantastic tracks like Entity, whose layered vocals in the intro waterfall over a wonderful mix of synths and xylophones – almost approaching Kate Bush territory in tone. Sometimes they’re girly, asserting strong melodies through the album, and sometimes they’re light, breathy and acrobatic. There are more instrumental moments too; Lake Geneva sports some pretty piano followed by pan pipe type woodwind, again over subtle synths. It’s an interesting combination, and one that Abrahamson makes work very nicely. The album picks up in the second half and earns her a place alongside Oh Land (another princess of Nordic pop) and CHVRCHES.
Abrahamson recently supported Peter Gabriel on his So Back to Front tour, and will play a London show of her own on the 19th February as part of Ja Ja Ja’s club night at the Lexington.
You can listen to her recent single The War below:
Download on iTunes:
