Few new artists have excited me more in the past few years than Erik Hassle, and I bet Jason would agree. It seems just yesterday he released his first single, “Hurtful,” but was actually late 2008 (my iTunes shows I added it on March 9, 2009). His Swedish album, Hassle, subsequent 2010 release (with new songs) retitled Pieces, and his Taken EP have kept him on steady rotation since.
Jason recently blogged about his latest effort, Mariefred Sessions, which is an appetizer before a to-be-released second album. Mariefred is an EP of songs he wrote and recorded with members of Kent, one of my favorite bands. Kent mainly record in Swedish, which makes it nearly impossible for me to understand, although there’s a small, rabid fan community online that translates songs. I was excited about them working with Hassle, and adored the single, “Are You Leaving?” And after a few weeks with the rest of the EP, the other songs’ quiet brilliance has emerged.
My SOTW for April 17 (I know, weeks late!) is "Arrows," the closing track. It has a particular Kent-ness—tense, tightly wound verses juxtaposed with choruses full of emotional release. Unfortunately, I can't find "Arrows" anywhere online—not even a Soundcloud! But if you want to hear some of Erik Hassle's greatness, try here: http://soundcloud.com/erikhassle
No comments:
Post a Comment