Have you heard Charlotte Day Wilson’s “Work”? Or any other, so long as it’s loud, absorbs you as it unfolds, and leaves you stunned? That’s also what Becky and the Birds’ birdsong, in the song “Paris”, achieves. Maybe it’s the very solemn tone, or maybe the purity of Thea Gustafsson’s singing punctuated with organ and the gospel atmosphere. Or maybe it’s simply the particularity of her voice, so high-pitched but so well used, sometimes better than a simple instrument would be. And despite this angelic side, the album Trasslig which includes this fabulous track, is in no way monotonous, as short as it is. Gustafsson wields vulnerability at the service of a voice that carries, while honouring Nordic soul of the same calibre as the beautiful Coco Owino and her band Quadron. Finally, her voice (always her voice) à la Minnie Riperton impresses, in that it draws out the most delicate melodies from anxiety and hypochondria, evoked in a recent interview with Fader. A little uncut gem, in short, more likely to be listened to than described with words that wouldn’t match the notes of this balancing act of a record.
