Yes Thilda, we know what that is, here in the north of England where it was invented. But it’s sunny and warm today for a change so a good day to listen to this very light, summery debut from Thilda U (Thilda Unnerstam),who hails from Lund, a bit north of Malmö and a classy university city, like a miniature Oxford.
There’s nothing fancy or high falutin’ about Thilda’s song ‘The Rain’ though. It’s a pleasant middle of the road pop piece that makes reference to and consequently sings the praises of the Italian Riviera – that bit that looks out over the Ligurian Sea – in the 60s, and pictured as warm summer rain, pastel whites, sweet scented orange blossoms and champagne.
And, you might add, barmy British films about gold heists of that era – The Italian Job.
Quite a few songs pay homage to cities but few to coastlines. Thilda does the region proud with a snappy but simple melody line and cute lyrics like ‘Dance it off, drive it far down to Tuscany/and suddenly it’s miles apart, write it off and take a sick with me.” (At least that’s what it sounds like!)
It’s as if The Divine Comedy’s ‘National Express’ had been rewritten with Italian stylishness.
Apart from venturing that it’s got a faint 1960s/70s feel to it, especially it in the subtle orchestration and heavy bass line, it’s hard to pigeonhole either her sound or the era it belongs to.
Vocally, she’s an alto who channels Highasakite’s Ingrid Håvik pretty closely in some of her intonation and that’s no slight praise.
Most of all, she’s different and that counts a lot here at NMC.
Find her on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thildauknow/
