Track Review: Frida Hyvönen

“The Modern”
from “Until Death Comes”
8/10

So first of all Frida Hyvönen is Swedish, which you might have notice from the umlaut above the “o” in her name. Not that all names using an umlaut are Swedish, considering that Mötley Crüe uses two in their name and they are in no way Swedish. This is all beside the point though of what I am trying to get at. Simply what I want to say is that she is now on my list of favorite Swedish artists. So that means her and Dennis Lyxzén from the Swedish hardcore band “Refused.”

“The Modern”, off of her album, “Until Death Comes”, is a great combination of poorly recorded vocals, which I believe to be on purpose, and the simplest of piano carrying the song. All I can say is that it works beautifully and it really gets you in the first second of the song. Especially with the opening verse being, “One day I wasn’t drunk and the sun was shining straight, I went blind and ran my fingers on his face.” Just that line makes you envision her sober happiness and going blind with the sun shining straight in her face, yet she still has the absolute joy of running her fingers on his face. You can hear it in the way she says it, and that is why I enjoy this song so much. As for the beginning of the second verse it is equally as good starting off with, “Won’t be ashamed of language as if it was my fault, won’t be afraid of happiness, won’t be afraid at all.”

Her vocals are very interesting in that she knows the right time to go higher and make a simple line more dramatic. At the end of the song there is a bridge part where she adds a heavier piano bass line and there is background singing from a woman, which might be her, and it sounds like it was recorded in the south in the 20’s. It kind of creeps me out, but at the same time I love it. The song ends with nothing more then a little slide guitar solo, if you want to call it a solo. It is exactly what you imagine you would hear and old man playing on his porch if you were walking down a street in some southern state such as Kentucky or Alabama. It is a great way to end the song, because it really goes along with the old sound of it. My only complaint with the song is that it is too short, not that I like long, overdone songs, but maybe one more verse would have been nice. Or maybe it is so good because it is short.

Watch:
Frida Hyvönen - The Modern [Music Video]

- Ryan Cox -

Tags: Frida Hyvönen, The Modern, Until Death Comes, mp3