ASTRID SWAN Issue #32

Poverina

By Marisa Iacobucci
Published: June 1st, 2007 | 12:00am

Not only is Poverina Astrid Swan’s debut solo album, it’s also her first in English. Swan is from Finland and although she’s played in bands such as Treeball, where she co-wrote songs and sang duets with Nick Triani, she was inspired to put out her first English-language album because of the influence of American and British music on her own, and, well, for the bigger audience factor too. Judging by the quality of her songs and the freshness of her voice, she may very well reach the kind of success and audience she’s after.

When I heard the song “The Kinda Tea You Like to Cry In,” I thought it was the perfect metaphor to describe a reaction to Swan’s music. It’s warm, sweet-sounding, and so familiar, you keep going back to it for comfort. The album features 11 original compositions by Swan and all of them will evoke this kind of reaction in you — and it will happen instantly. Whether you become hooked on the delicate, instrumental start of “They Need You if They Think You Love Them” or can’t get the catchy, sing-a-long melodies of “Poverina” out of your head, Swan’s songs are artistically so well crafted, each one has the potential to capture broad audience appeal and commercial success.

Vocally and in terms of her storytelling lyrics, I couldn’t stop comparing Swan to Jewel. She also sounds a lot like Tori Amos, especially when her vocal range turns from quiet to piercing over a dramatic piano melody in “Rock ‘n’ Roll Blonde.”

The emotional load of the material she writes and sings about can be heavy as Swan reflects on themes of loneliness, family ties, love, and personal journeys, but she also offers quirky, feel-good songs like “Life in a Container” in the mix.

When Swan’s songs hit the charts and English radio stations — and they will — you won’t ever turn the dial.