Theresa Rex (Denmark) – Ugly Cry (single/future EP track)
If there is something you can always be sure of with Theresa Rex it is that every song will be a tuneful banger.
And it will be meaningful, too. She chooses her subjects with care. An exponent of IP (my simplistic acronym for intelligent pop) previously she’s given us songs about detaching herself from the world when she was diagnosed with a serious illness; the opposite of that – the need to have her voice heard; and about losing her partner to someone she used to consider a friend.
This time she feeds us a “messy girl anthem” about getting in so deep with the vodka bottle or the Carlsberg can or whatever ever takes her fancy that she “reaches that point of no return, where the lid just flips and the valves open, and you become an over-sharing, over-emotional, ugly-crying fool, crying until the whole damn place is stuck under water”.
Well I can’t say I’ve ever quite been there Theresa, and the photo shot makes it seem you’re crying tears of blood, but it’s undoubtedly a girlie thing and I’ll take your word for it.
As smart as the lyrics are – and, seriously, they are more than a match for anything coming out of the very top artists in the US – the tune still takes precedence. She has the key, the secret; to whatever it is that helps put together a humdinger of a track, again.
And she’s so fast out of the blocks into it as well. And then that sexy tone to her voice…I could go on.
It’s one you don’t want to end, and that’s my only criticism. It could have had a bridge inserted (ouch!) and another chorus added. But I’m not losing any sleep over that.
Find her on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheresaRexMusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theresarexmusic/
Isak Struck (Sweden) – Smärtar (single/future album track)
Isak Struck – in another context it might have been “Isak struck from the edge of the box to score his hat trick”. Not that I’m a fan of Newcastle United in general or Alexander Isak in particular but it did occur to me to ponder how Isak can be a first name and a second name. But that’s for another time…
He lives in Gothenburg now but was born in Västerås, northwest of Stockholm. Isn’t that where Loreen comes from?
This is Isak’s first single but he actually wrote it as long ago as 1996, and super fast, putting together lyrics and melody in 15 minutes. Lord knows what he’s being doing since. It is taken from an album that will be released in December.
The song is called ‘Smärtar’ which translates as ‘Pains’ and it and the eight song album which will follow in December were recorded on tape.
I can’t tell you what the song is about I’m afraid, my knowledge of Swedish is insufficient for that. What I can say is that if lively acoustic rock supported by clever little instrumental fills and close harmonies is your bag you’ve come home.
With its continuous rolling structure it made me think of a Swedish ‘American Pie’. I can’t say fairer than that.
The band: Isak Struck (vocals, guitars, tambourine), Christian Kullberg (bass), Malin Almgren (drums), Jonas Parsmo (organ), David Törnebäck (piano), Lina Melander (choir)
Photo credit: Nick Durant
Find him on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isak.struck
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isakstruck/
