Date: Thu, 31 Oct 1996 02:19:29 -0800
From: Jeff Keibel (redshift@INTERLOG.COM)
Subject: sTiNa nordensTam
STINA NORDENSTAM
"Dynamite"
Stockholm/east west
0630-15605-2
out now!
Released this week in my corner of the world (Toronto, Canada) and
already out in Europe is the new album from Stina Nordenstam. It's
called "Dynamite" and can be found on Telegram Records Stockholm/east
west via Warner Music UK.
I first fell for the sounds of Stina on her second album from '94
entitled "And She Closed Her Eyes" (4509-93898-2, east west). This
album really blew me away and songs like "Hopefully Yours" and the
beautiful "Something Nice" made me a fan for life.
Stina "sings" in a child-like almost whispering style which you either
love or hate; there's no middle ground. But, I beg you to give her a
chance...
As displyed on her previous album, a song like "Something Nice", with
the harmonied Stina voices and the catch-you-off-guard freshness of the
song itself to her new album "Dynamite", with lush production featuring
electric guitar (by Stina) and orchestrated violins and cellos really
demonstrates just how unique and original she is.
On a song like "The Man With A Gun" (from "Dynamite"), Stina sings from
the point of view of a woman whose punishment for an unspeakable crime
has caught up with her. It's not explained what she did but the song is
so bone-chillingly scary you KNOW it must have been pretty bad. Or like
on "Dynamite", the album's title track, lyrics like "Forgetting you is
like breathing water/There's got to be a better way" ring true to me and
I'm sure to lots of you as well.
The 4AD connection is that the wonderful Stina almost may have been
signed to 4AD at one point. While it's sad that Stina didn't set up
shop at 4AD, thankfully the folks at Warner Music UK welcomed her
willfully non-commercial sounds and have released her albums to the
world.
Stina is an example of what an a daring artist really is; she's unafraid
to be totally herself and create her own style. I mean this in the best
possible way - after listening to Stina, it makes Red Atkins sound like
the definition of a commercially viable recording artist.
Like lisa Germano, Red House Painters and Dead Can Dance from among the
4AD roster as examples, Stina also follows no one but herself, almost as
if the current hot trends on the charts or the clubs we're oblivious to
her. The passion for her music literaly oozes from Stina's albums.
Like with her past album's liner notes, there's precious little info in
the "Dynamite" booklet about the woman that is Stina, but I was able to
find this interesting article that came out around the time of her
previous album in 1994. Hopefully this will give a little glimpse into
what she's about. Keep in mind the story is two years old now but
otherwise still worth reading...
In the meantime, definitely check out Stina's new album called
"Dynamite" real soon. It's no wonder why our Mr. Watts-Russell knew
about Stina... With "Dynamite", hopefully she'll get the attention she
deserves.
Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 19:51:31 +0100
From: Kjetil Kristiansen (Kjetil.Kristiansen@IDT.NTNU.NO)
Subject: Stina Nordenstam - Dynamite
Bought Dynamite, the new Stina Nordenstam album, over a week ago.
Some other guy already posted a review, but there's always
room for an additional view isn't it?
The main difference between Dynamite, and Stina's 2 earlier albums is
that she has taken up playing the guitar. Her guitar climpering
is practically everywhere on the album. In addition there are some
string arrangements here and there.
This more or less makes up the soundscape on the album.
It's not as diverse as on her earlier albums, which I think is a
bit strange, as the 10 songs were recorded in no less than 5 different
locations.
Her guitar playing is neither good nor bad I guess. It's very sparse,
almost an ambient feeling to it (so don't expect any AC/DC riffs:-).
There are some weird and shrill sounds on it, though.
It's very little percussion on it, few jazz arrangements, but it's
more ambient and quiet.
The Stina Nordenstam "feeling" is still there though; perfect for
sitting inside sipping tea, while the rain is pouring outside, and the
leaves are falling off the trees.
Her lyrics are still intact too. I think she has an exceptional talent,
of telling a whole story with only a few lines in her songs, but still
leave room for secrets and wondering.
She describes it best herself in "CQD":
"I finally fell in that black hole, between your sentences"
It seems like Stina has become a meaner Stina Nordenstam on "Dynamite".
The lyrics have several references to darkness, murder and killing.
The picture of Stina on the back of the CD, also hints that she claims
to get rid of the "nice little girl" image she might have got trapped in(?)
Either that, or she has been listening too much on Nick Cave's "Murder
Ballads". ;-)
The final verdict then:
I think I will play this record a lot. Her previous albums set ridiculously
high standards, though. And I prefer those albums to
"Dynamite". Although songs like the ending track, "Now that you're leaving",
and the title track, "Dynamite", is easily up there among here best
efforts. That said I think it's an album that may grow on me,
and anyhow it is much better than most music being released these days.
-kJeTiL
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 1996 20:51:39 +0000
From: Steven Olney (ma6so@BATH.AC.UK)
Subject: Re: stina nordenstam
both people so far have said that dynamite is a good album, i disagree.
I was really excited that she had done a new album having fallen
completely for the other two, but 'dynamite' was just a complete let
down, there is absolutely none of that plain little acoustic sound which
we know and love, instead she has opted for a completely wierd
industrial type backing and completely unmelodic tunes. I know i cant
convince anyone who has heard 'little star' that there is bad SN songs
in existence but really, there is 10 of 'em here.
Date: Thu, 7 Nov 1996 11:51:29 +0100
From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen (larsi@IFI.UIO.NO)
Subject: Stina Nordenstam - Dynamite
So -- the most eagerly awaited album (ever!) has arrived. And it's
not at all what we expected, is it?
Now, Stina's first album was (I've been told) a Ricky Lee Jones-ish
affair that didn't really make much waves. Her second album, though,
was a minor masterpiece, that will live on and continue to delight
people for millenias to come. (At least.) It's a jazzy, fiercely
original and intimate release that astounded me when I first heard it,
and I just like it more and more as time goes by.
For the new album she has discovered the electric guitar. Some of the
reviews of this album have made it sound like she's made a heavy metal
album or something, but it's as far from that as it's possible to
come. It's more characterized by its prominent silences than by its
harsh sounds.
I am reminded, in a way, by "4 Track Demos" by PJ Harvey -- the guitar
noises seem to hover in mid-air, not making contact with anything
else. I'm also reminded of the original version of "Frontier" by Dead
Can Dance (found on the Lonely is an Eyesore album). Not to
coincidentally, both these were demo recordings, which is what this
album sounds like. There are plenty of "mistakes" -- things
definitely does not sound "produced". (Reading the liner notes, I see
that most of the songs have "Recorded at my flat", "recorded at Umeaa
church" and so on.) Furthermore, Stina plays the guitars herself and
has produced the album herself, so it's pretty much a one woman show.
However, it's not all just electric guitar and vocals. Here and
there, you have lush strings and flute and stuff. You also have a
very ratty-sounding (and I mean that in the best possible way) drums
that are quite prominent.
All over, though, it has many pauses. Typically you have Stina
playing her guitar, and then trailing off into silence, and then
starting again.
So. Is it any good? I think I think it's bloody brilliant. However,
it may not be everybody's cup of tea, and if you are waiting for
"...and she closed her eyes (pt ii)", you will be disappointed.
Listen before buying, is my recommandation. (Easier said than done, I
guess, if you have to buy it from a mail order service. Will this
album even be released in the US? The commercial potential is nil, so
I would understand it if no US record company feels the calling to
release it.)
--
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
larsi@ifi.uio.no * Lars Ingebrigtsen