Carl Norén got a very dark voice when he speaks. It shouldn't be that surprising, a lot of singers got a completely different voice when they speak. But when the blonde manboy is on stage and talks about how he almost got beaten before the concert in Rättvik, the history gets funnier by the fact he doesn't sound like Prince - more like a lumberjack from Dalarna.
In a sporty leather jacket, John Lennon's New York City t shirt, a necklace with an owl and a Hagström guitar, Norén performs the songs from his debut album Owls and chit chat between the songs. Behind him there is a choir with Lisa Skoglund, a band who play analog instruments and a bunch of synths. Although it's 13 years since Sugarplum Fairy took shape - the band Norén and his band hail from - they are still bright-eyed and energetic like if they still were teenagers.
There are a lot of Swedish music right now that point to the Prince direction but end up with a sound like Gyllene Tider. Norén's 'That's the way I like it'oaks to the Monkees direction, which actually is a much safer way to go when it comes to bubble gum. On album, the music can despite that become ingratiating cuddly. But live, a messy Saturday night, it works perfectly as entertainment. Norén and Skoglund got some cinematic Gainsbourg & Birkin moments, and Norén is so utterly comfortable with everything that goes on on the stage and in the audience that he's basically Tom Jones in sweatpants.
The whole concert feels a bit like finally going back to the graduation prom in one of the girly high school movies that came out in the late 90s. The only difference is that instead of rattling, the band play disco pop with funk tendencies and strings of synth.
It’s hard to find knowledgeable <Street teams but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks for sharing this with others.
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