Frida Hyvönen – Silence Is Wild
December 1, 2008
The second album from Swedish singer/songwriter Frida Hyvönen breaks with the acoustic sound of her debut, Until Death Comes, by adding choirs, synthesizers, and a generally fuller sound to her music. The songs are a frequently inspired and sometimes mesmerizing mix of pop, jazz and an intense theatricality reminiscent of Scott Walker, Jane Siberry and early Tori Amos. Hyvönen’s lyrics are romantic, melancholy, sometimes profane and sometimes playful, as with the amusing “Scandinavian Blonde,” the one song that could pass for a rocker on Silence Is Wild. Because she takes some risks with her music, there are some missteps on Silence Is Wild, but in general, Hyvönen makes good on the promise of her first album. She is definitely an artist to watch, and yet another reason to keep an eye on the Swedish pop scene, which has been generating some great music lately, i.e. the Concretes and El Perro Del Mar. Standout cuts: “Dirty Dancing,” “Enemy Within,” “London!” and “Oh Shanghai.”
