Sebastian Archives - Sofia Talvik - Americana / Folk with Swedish Roots

USA’s largest indie distributor CD Baby has posted a review of my latest album “Florida”. And they LOVE it. Thanks guys!

It’s not often that an album takes your breath away, and I hate to sound hyperbolic, but “Florida” actually has several “Oh my god!” moments of sheer beauty. Both joyful and melancholic, Sofia’s voice is the star, while perfectly twangy Nashville guitar backed by lush orchestrations, loping drums, and occasional electronic elements propel the songs along gently.While not sounding exactly like any one artist, this album… calls to mind everything from classic Nancy Sinatra to Belle & Sebastian to Rufus Wainwright. The references to the American south are plentiful and it’s fascinating to hear how the music of the region gets filtered through her Scandinavian sensibilities. Finally and equally noteworthy is the stellar production of the album, which is done entirely by Sofia herself. It’s a wonderfully effervescent album, and I know I’ll be listening to it a lot this summer.

Check out Florida at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/SofiaTalvik1

And the rest of Sofia’s albums at: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/SofiaTalvik

CDbaby writes me in their email: “We’re *really* picky about what we feature. We get about 200-250 new albums a DAY coming in here now, (about 200,000 total), and yours is one of the best we’ve ever heard.”

Read the full review here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/sofiatalvik3

SOFIA TALVIK: Jonestown
Fresh from a powerful performance at 2008’s Lollapalooza festival, Sweden’s Sofia Talvik is now poised to conquer the States with the release of her devastatingly beautiful third album. It’s a record of staggering elegance, with the faintest trace of Scandinavian twee and youthful exuberance. (Timpani, crisp castanets, tambourine, all the toys and tricks to put some bounce in your step.) But those forces are tempered by a subtle melancholy that slowly drips down the lonely walls while you listen until, by the last song, you’re drowning in a warm, welcome bath of sad sounds, syrupy string sections, and round, resonant horns. She combines modal chord changes and beautiful 60’s euro-pop production with the gentle singing of a 70’s folk songstress. Her voice shines through the dark tones of dramatic, lush orchestrations and the haze of reverb like a ray of liquid luminescence. “Jonestown” will remind you of Goldfrapp, Pulp, Nico, Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Belle & Sebastian, Aimee Mann, Tori Amos, Burt Bacharach (I could go on and on!), and yet it sounds entirely original and, more importantly, rings true.

author: Chrisr at CD Baby

Tag: Sebastian

CDBaby Editor’s Pick – Sofia Talvik: Florida

CDbaby – editor’s pick