Linnea Hjertén – Nio systrar (Recommendation)

The success of various franchises focusing on Scandinavia / Vikings during the recent years in film, television and gaming has also led to an increase in the number of bands and artists who are letting off steam in the Nordic Folk genre. Whether it’s artists who take up this genre as a variation of their own music, artists who have become known to a wider audience as a result, or people who see it as an opportunity to fulfil their musical desires.

Linnea Hjertén seems to be based in the latter, as her Bandcamp page describes that these are “natural extensions of her spiritual practices” and I always had the feeling that this was the case. I couldn’t help but keep thinking that this debut album is more honest than some of its genre peers. Throughout the album, she manages to create the spiritual soundscape that you would expect from such an album, that manages to create this paradoxical mixture of anxiety and liberation through ritual ambient music. And not many can do that for me.

However, I have to admit that I’m not as well versed in this genre as I am in some others. But I dare to give Linnea Hjertén a chance for all fans who have a soft spot or need for such Nordic-spiritual music. Even if you might miss the sophistication of genre greats in some points, this album has its heart in the right place.