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Beloveds: S? tar natten dig ?ter

By Samuel Stroup
June 26, 2020
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S? tar natten dig ?ter, the debut album by Swedish septet Beloveds is at once assertive and tender. The music—jazz with roots in European folk music and with a keen focus on improvisation—is composed and set to lyrics by Beloveds' singer and leader

Channa Riedel

vocals
b.1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Channa Riedel. Riedel, a musician-poet, penned some of the lyrics herself, while others are adapted from the work of writers and musicians like Chicho Sánchez Ferlosio, Vladimir Mayakovskij, Karin Boye, and Cornelis Vreeswijk. Despite the disparity of the album's co-authors, S? tar natten dig ?ter finds a strong sense of cohesion. In fact, the different source material almost strengthens the musical thesis which Beloveds are cultivating. Riedel and co. cite the progressive Swedish musical tradition of progg as a strong influence, and this feeling and energy are apparent in the music. While most of the songs are sung in Swedish (two are in English), moods of general unrest and activism are audible, no matter what the listener's native language is.

It is hard not to be reminded of the music of

Charlie Haden

bass, acoustic
1937 - 2014

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra by this record. Just as Haden's ensemble tended to do, Beloveds showcase the talents of its members through songs whose ideas are universal and pull from any number of inspirations and themes. Beloveds' tenor saxophonist

Pelle Westlin

woodwinds

" data-original-title="" title="">Pelle Westlin flourishes more often than not and is a highlight of the album. His solo on "El derecho de vivir en paz/R?tten till ett eget liv" steals the tune's spotlight, lyrical and ever-increasing in the energy that the rhythm section builds with him.

Also striking are the more tender moments on the album. "Ur: F?r full hals" is a gentle yet excited tune whose sparse first minute is a perfect bed for Reidel's voice, candid and intricate. Reidel's singing is the ultimate thru-line of S? tar natten dig ?ter, and while the album doesn't explicitly highlight her stylistic range, it finds her voice sounding right at home on each track, no matter the dynamic or tempo.

Ultimately, some moments of S? tar natten dig ?ter are stronger than others. "Welcome to Europe" feels a little clunky and lacks the subtlety of many of the other tracks. But, fortunately, the strong moments prevail on the album, making it a fascinating and enjoyable meditation on jazz, folk music, politics and poetry.

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Track Listing

Recorded by: Gustav Davidsson. Studio Glasf?geln, June 2018. Mix. & mast: Gustav Davidsson. 1. Natt, l?t f?ngen fullborda sin klagan - Lyrics: Palestinsk trad. Sw. transl: Ingvar Rydberg. Music: Channa Riedel. 2. S? tar natten dig ?ter - Lyrics & music: Channa Riedel. 3. I m?rkret - Lyrics: Karin Boye. Music: Channa Riedel. 4. Beloveds - Lyrics: Juliana Spahr. Music & lyrics edit: Channa Riedel. 5. Welcome to Europe - Lyrics & music: Channa Riedel. 6. El derecho de vivir en paz - Sw. lyrics: Cornelis Vreeswijk. Music: Victor Jara. 7. Ur: F?r Full Hals - Lyrics: Vladimir Majakovskij. Sw. transl: Gunnar Harding & Ulf Bergstr?m. Music: Channa Riedel. 8. Flykten Valde Oss - Lyrics: Stig Dagerman. Music: Channa Riedel. 9. Nu sl?r en blomma ut - Lyrics: Stig Dagerman. Music: Channa Riedel. L 10. Den svarta tuppen - Lyrics & music: José Antonio Sanchez Ferlosio. Sw. transl: Jacob Branting.

Personnel

Channa Riedel

vocals

Karl Magnus Andersson

piano

Pelle Westlin

woodwinds

Gustav Davidsson

trombone

Joel Haag

guitar

Bjorn Petersson

bass, acoustic

Anton Jonsson

drums

Beloveds

band / ensemble / orchestra

Album information

Title: S? tar natten dig ?ter | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Abrovinsch Records

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