Stina Nordenstam 'The World is Saved'

Sometimes an album that isn't considered to be great or even to be the best example of an artist's work will, for some reason that you can't quite put your finger on, become one of your favourite albums and end up meaning a lot to you.

This is the case for me with 'The World is Saved'.

Stina Nordenstam is a Swedish singer-songwriter. Unfortunately for those of us who are fans of her's, she is reclusive, never plays concerts and releases an album approximately once every five years. She has an amazing voice, soft and gentle but also powerful and unforgettable. The music she makes takes in a number of different styles, from rock to jazz.

'The World is Saved' was released in 2004 and remains one of my favourite records. The music is a mix of jazz, pop and rock with pianos, strings and synthesisers at the forefront. It is possibly the most 'wintry' album I have ever heard. Stina's voice is like a whisper, sometimes barely audible over the music. This is an album to be played from October to March, listening to it reminds me of cold December days and climbing the steps of Luton train station on the way to meet my girlfriend after work. The opening track 'Get On With Your Life' starts with the following memorable opening verse

"They put a needle once in my spine
It took them so long to find it
I can't get this porn film out of my head
Let's get on with it."

The song is uplifting, even with the downbeat lyrics.

'Winter Killing', a song about a love triangle, acknowledges the feel of the album with the line "I knew I had to leave, cos Spring was coming". Spring is no time for Stina to be around. 'Parliament Square', a gorgeous piano and strings ballad sums up the tone of the album's lyrics in one line "This is a downcast position, at least it is real".

Everything on this record sounds great: the range of instrumentation, Stina's voice and there are some lovely tunes here too. 'Butterfly', an upbeat jazzy number is maybe the most funs ong Stina has ever recorded.

But, as I said sometimes records touch you for no reason that you can easily put into words. I always turn to this record when I'm feeling lost. It makes me feel cold but it is a comfort. To me, this album feels like a long walk in the snow, followed by a sit by the fireplace with a hot drink. Marks out of ten don't even cover it.

If you've never heard any of Stina's music, I strongly recommend you go to:
http://www.stinanordenstam.net/html/media.html