When many people think of Swedish music in America, the infamous 1970 Stockholm sensation ABBA comes to mind. However, Sweden has more to offer than IKEA and the cultural experiment of Dancing Queen. I Break Horses brings more to the table with a new album that balances playful electronics, dreamy vocals and modest Scandinavian wit.
Hearts, which came out in the end of August, reached the States in time for the approaching winter. As experts in staying upbeat despite crumby temperatures and weather, the Swedish duo brings forth a nostalgic sound of childhood playfulness and echoing vocals of Maria Lindén .
The top song of the LP has to be Winter Beats; with a contagious rhythm and a simple and cyclical chord progression this song, just like the album, transcends the simple foundation it’s rooted in.
This debut album flows from song to song and despite the band’s youth, the duo has established a characteristic sound based in dreamy simplicity. The electronic and synth beats accent the overall simplicity of the album. Each song presents a moderate background of pop and off-beat indie surrealism.
This balance of pep and nostalgia and lack of in-your-face pretension is representative of the Swedish concept of lagom . This culturally defining aspect of everything Swedish comes from the Viking origin of “enough, sufficient, adequate, just right,” referring to the fair sharing of mead in the ancient civilization, according to the Lexin Scandinavian language dictionary.
Although some of the band’s pensive songs that feel like they’re floating may be influenced by the inspiration of honey liquor, I Break Horses embraces lagom exceptionally well. Each song is modest, not over the edge, but not boring. Just like a traditional Smörgåsbord dinner—never rowdy, never boring but in the middle— lagom .
Lindén and band partner Fredrik Balck have created a sound for indie enthusiasts around the world to enjoy and their inspiring and uplifting sound transcends cultural boundaries. The fact that they sing in English helps American audiences too. But lyrics are irrelevant. The echoing and drawn out vocals hypnotize listeners rather than preach to them. This is comparable to fellow Scandinavian band Sigur Rós . This Icelandic band, with similar ethereal style like I Break Horses, relies on the use of atmospheric instrumental soundscapes to carry the message of the song rather than the lyrics.
After listening to Hearts, the drudgery of the inevitable winter isn’t so bad. This music is a true soul lifter and will definitely be on my exam-week study playlist. Hopefully it will inject some well needed logam into that week.
