Review Summary: She's the alpha.
The fact that this colossal pillar of a record exists astounds me to this day. The year 2009 graced us with an album that upholds the already well-known fact that Karin Dreijer Andersson is the queen of the mountain top, a true goddess among unworthy subjects at the bottom. At first glance, those who might take a superficial peer into the fascinating, snowy landscape that is
Fever Ray might come away unaffected. But I implore said scalawag to look again, with a deeper mindset. Lock yourself in this realm for it holds something truly special for those willing to let it sink in. Let the gloomy, moody, witty and glacial caress hold you tenderly.
The record sets sail with the eerie and hypnotizing ‘If I Had a Heart’. The track gears at you with a primal bass melody, cavernous sounds and a subtle kick drum. Palpable within your eardrums, you hear each kick sync perfectly with the snarling and entrancing waves of bass. All of these add to the beautiful and heavenly cacophony of the track. Karin desperately croons lines like
This won’t happen ‘cause I want more. More, give me more, give me more. The track at its core sets a holistic tone for the record. Karin’s voice is altered and layered in a way that exudes a god-like presence, an enchanting yet downtrodden demeanor. Her normal voice peeks in through in the latter half of the track giving the listener more or less a full and solid preview of things to come.
‘When I Grow Up’ serves us a healthy dose of panoramic hacksaw bass and a soaring synth lead that sounds exactly like the musical equivalent of an owl flying through a snow storm. The track boasts an innocent and adorable demeanor with mentions of being “a forester” who will “run through the moss on high heels” and “is very good with plants.” I won’t give too much away, but Karin embraces and acts out a creationist role in this track. The track serves as a grand and emotionally-nuanced single with an earworm melody that will most definitely haunt you in your sleep. ‘Dry and Dusty’ takes a turn for the doomy and airy with its echoed synth passage and its nimble and wavering beat. ‘Seven’ gives us some more of that airiness in its icy and reverbed synth patterns but with a more immediate beat and bass line. The chorus on this track is probably the most infectious moment on the whole album, with a hook that’s been dancing in my head and tongue for ages at this point.
‘Triangle Walks’ blends in some snappy, fuzzy percussion with an African-esque beat and some oriental sounds thrown in for good measure. The track is filled to the brim with layer upon layer of sonic and vocal detail with Karin layering her voice effortlessly on top of the bombastic instruments. The fiery track serves as foreshadowing to sounds from The Knife’s ‘Shaking the Habitual’ which would drop four years down the road. Tracks like the tortured ‘Concrete Walls’ and the devastating ‘Keep the Streets Empty for Me’ continue down the blackened, beautiful and gloomy paths of Karin’s soundscape. While tracks like ‘Now’s the Only Time I Know’ and ‘I’m Not Done’ keep the listener interested as Karin boasts a darkened triumphant energy that only she could possibly embellish so easily. One feels truly enamored while listening to ‘I’m Not Done’ as Karin’s subdued voice glides through the mountain-like percussion, the quiet snares, the ever-rising synth passages and the grounded string sections at the end of the track. Karin’s falsetto engulfs you while her mid register yelps at the wind.
Who is the Alpha?
How do you say you're sorry
and there's nothing to be afraid of?
The closer here is a whopper of a track that clocks in at roughly seven minutes. The track is in constant, swelling motion, as it builds up, stacks up, halts, and then motions forward once more. Karin’s snarling and echoed vocals invite the listener to let go and let up with hypnotic lines like
Lay back with a big cigar. Lay back we are where we are. The melody waves goodbye as you yearn for more. The devastating yet devastated feel that these ten songs give off is truly breathtaking and enchanting. Fever Ray gave us an unforgettable portrait of dusk, darkness and heartwarming emotiveness that stands high and strong to this day and will continue to do so decades and decades down the road.
