Not to quote Smash too much, but fade in on a star with a song in her heart and a face and a name to remember. While of course the song is from the fictional Marilyn musical set within that show, it also works as a description to Swedish ingenue Amanda Mair. At the tender age of 16 she has managed to put out a debut album that is filled with a beguiling aura and innate charm that belies her youthful age. An ethereal vocal style frames her as a fragile, delicate storyteller - her label may compare her to Dusty Springfield & Kate Bush (both not entirely unwarranted) but Amanda really is in a league of her own...
Her debut album, just released in Sweden, has been preceded by two stunning singles - House & Doubt (both available for free download over at her webpage). The former is swathed in a beautiful balance of piano & strings as Amanda sings of a place where she used to live with a former love, a place that no longer has the magic it used to. Her voice is sweetly swooning; she sings with a wisdom far beyond her years & is never overpowered by those stunning yet complementary backing vocals. In essence, it has tip top production and the track makes for an impressive introduction. Doubt begins with wall of sound drums that are reminiscent of both Phil Spector & Kate's Running Up That Hill - it's a genuinely stunning pop track that practically effervesces as it progresses. Amanda sings with a tricky balance of confidence, yet never quite rejecting the fact that she is yet to fully experience some of the things she sings about. Her translation and interpretation of lyrics is a huge part of making the album so wonderful and shouldn't be overlooked.
Elsewhere, numerous highlights abound. A personal favourite is the mesmerising ballad, Skinnarviksberget (apparently a hill overlooking Stockholm). It's just Amanda's vocals and an ever so beautiful piano melody that hold the song together & it genuinely is one of the most breathtaking songs I've heard this year.It's lovely to hear her sing of the innocence of youth and deliver such an intricate, detailed performance. More uptempo & perhaps the most ebullient 60s girl group inspired song since Girls Aloud's The Promise is the delightful Sense. It zips along with a peppy handclap beat, a memorable chorus & even has some great visuals to go with it in the video above (my fave? "Who is kate bush?" "I prefer the Spice Girls"!!). Overall the album is a beautiful, accomplished piece of work and an exciting introduction to an artist who I can't wait to see grow, evolve and develop. Amazing.
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