Andre Paine25 August 2017
Norwegian singer Susanne Sundfør made her international breakthrough in 2015 with an accomplished album of moody synth-pop.
She’s defied expectations on a follow-up that retains the Nordic gloom but summons a more classic songwriting approach.
On the hushed, acoustic introspection of Mantra and the plangent balladry of The Sound of War, Sundfør sings like she’s haunted by Leonard Cohen.
Like the late pop poet, she also has a playful side. Samples and electronic textures take the songs into experimental territory, so it sometimes feels as if you’ve wandered into an art gallery sound installation.
It’s a strange record, though the Adele-style chorus on the single Undercover should maintain her career momentum.
