Frida Hyvonen - Until Death Comes

When Camera Obscura joined Jari Haapalainen to record in Sweden, the record that came out was heaped with strings and reverb, enough studio spice to drown out much of the band's charm. It's therefore lovely to come across Frida Hyvonen's debut, co-produced by that same Happalainen but here with piano-based songs left untouched. Hyvonen's heartache and meditation is mostly unaccompanied, just multitracked vocals and the beautiful play of piano or vibraphone. It recalls Joni Mitchell more than Antony and the Johnsons, Elliott Smith more than Toni Amos, with a touch of Jose Gonzalez's nordic seriousness. Djuna! is a love-song of utter loveliness, while N.Y leads through trumpet into moments of echo and yearning. An altogether different sound is offered on Come Another Night (a more typical Haapalainen track), where 50s-era oohs and bass guitar make Hyvonen sound like a girl singing along with her old record-player. Recommended. [Sean Michaels]