Norwegian singer Susanne Sundfor has been around for some ten years now, but she gained more international prominence only after her 2015 album Ten Love Songs.
In the meantime, that exposure has brought her a role in the BBC Proms tribute to the music of Scott Walker, curated by Jarvis Cocker when I had the first occasion to hear her quite remarkable interpretations of Walkers work.
And now comes her new album aptly titled Music For People In Trouble, and what a treat and true solace it is!
Her previous efforts are described as more in the vein of sad electro-pop version of Depeche Mode and Tori Amos combined (basically, Radiohead with a female voice) with a slant towards Leonard Cohen (her name is Susanne, after all).
On Music For People In Trouble, the accent is more on that Cohen connection, strengthened obviously with the Scott Walker experience. The electoral-pop element is present only in slight traces, if at all, and presence of John Grant, another participant in the Scott Walker tribute project strengthens that connection.
The music and the lyrics are all beautifully restrained, and Sundfor’s distinctive voice is to the fore. The arrangements are quite sparse (for example, just piano and few basic effects and a sax solo on “Good Luck Bad Luck”) but fit the music image Sundfor is trying to create perfectly. The sparse use of strings and vocal backing strengthen the feeling of sadness and search of how to get out of it that Sundfor is trying to create on this album.
In effect, the music created on Music For People In Trouble in a way can be said that it would fit perfectly on the ECM label, yet another product of Norwegian musical excellence. The cover of the album itself in a way suggests such a connection.
But what is to the fore is the excellence of Sundfor’s musical vision and the manner in which she has presented it on this memorable album. An absolute delight that can help people search their way out of any trouble.
