Obscure Sound on Norwegian artist Rockettothesky: https://obscuresound.com/?p=2256
The stuff I'm hearing about the new album sounds very promising.

The Silent Ballet on Lindstrøm's "Where you go I go too": https://thesilentballet.com/dnn/Home/tabid/36/ctl/Details/mid/384/ItemID/1858/Default.aspx

PopMatters reviews the new Ane Brun album "Changing of the seasons": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/62250/ane-brun-changing-of-the-seasons/

Pitchfork delivers their assessment of the new Hello Saferide record "More modern short stories...": https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/146216-hello-saferide-more-modern-short-stories-from

I'm From Barcelona
Who killed Harry Houdini?
Mute/Dolores

I'm From Barcelona's approach to songwriting reminds me, for whatever reason, of Wes Anderson's films: the modernization of older tropes and themes; the narrative and occasionally cinematic style of the songs; the playful nature one can adopt while exploring the significance one attaches to the world, and that is attached to the observer; and it never hurts that tracks such as "Andy" and "Music killed me" could easily find their way onto an Anderson soundtrack (and would feel dreadfully out of place in an effort like "Juno"). References to the "Cosby Show", complete with background television noise, evoke comparisons to Montt Mardié and Jens Lekman, though I'm From Barcelona's interest in the past is not the main focus of the album and serves to compliment their excursions into fuller twee compositions. One can hear elements of Shout Out Louds, and of Scandinavian indie pop in general -- glockenspiels, 60s-style backing vocals and backing instrumentation, but the success of "Who killed Harry Houdini?" is embodied in I'm From Barcelona's ability to stir up remembrances of one band or genre of music and then continue onwards through varied avenues towards the band's original goal. "Rufus", the album's closing composition, wonderfully exemplifies my ideas: stumbling into David Bowie territory, complete with spacey backing vocals and fabulously manipulated lead guitars, only to break back down into the paths carved out by the record's earlier tracks. "Who killed Harry Houdini?" is far more difficult to sufficiently describe than it is to enjoy and eventually fall for.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

PopMatters on the new Dungen album "4": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/64062/dungen-4/

Pitchfork reviews Swedish artist Library Tapes: https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/146131-library-tapes-a-summer-beneath-the-trees

New reviews at The Silent Ballet of new albums from both Detektivbyrån and Library Tapes

PopMatters on I'm From Barcelona's new album "Who killed Harry Houdini?": https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/63614/im-from-barcelona-who-killed-harry-houdini/

Pitchfork on Anna Ternheim's US debut "Halfway to Fivepoints": https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/146209-anna-ternheim-halfway-to-fivepoints

Musique Machine on the latest album "Pyrrhula" from Swedish dark ambient/noise merchant Nordvargr: https://www.musiquemachine.com/reviews/reviews_template.php?id=2000

Hello Saferide
More modern short stories from Hello Saferide
Razzia Records

Finally Annika Norlin has released her second album as Hello Saferide. For a while we almost died of Norlin abstinence, didn't we? But hey, the medicine for this cold season is here. The album consists of 12 songs with a little help from Andreas Mattson (Popsicle) and the beloved Maia Hirasawa, among others. Bed for success? Yeah. Rewind, we should call it 12 collections of short stories straightly based on Norlin's interior "I have trouble sleeping but I don't recall I had while in your womb", track 7, "Parenting never ends". This is a new sound from 2006, with a toss of country, especially audible on "Traveling with HS" and on the top of Saferide's lungs while singing "Sancho Panza", she is lingering while passing on to a rock sound. Something has happened with the maturity of her voice and lyrics, I just have to get used to it. This is a nostalgic, flirty album that's easily sad about the definition sex, memories and love. Highlights are "Overall", "Lund" and "I wonder who is like this one". Even if the previous album "Introducing Hello Saferide" may entice young enthusiasts more with its happier tunes, "More moderns short stories..." overall grows and grows and grows. Annika Norlin, please continue with your creativity.
- Therese Buxfäldt

PopMatters on Icelandic artist Ólafur Arnalds: https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/63205/lafur-arnalds-eulogy-for-evolution/

Mats Öberg
Improvisational Two
Caprice Records

The musical genius of Mats Öberg has delivered to us this masterpiece of work inspired by the late Cornelis Vreeswijk, with jazz-improvised songs. What sets this apart to me (with my untrained ears) is how Mats effortlessly flows over the ivories, not as a jazz musician, but as a classical one playing jazz, and that's what I think makes this so great. The sense one gets from this record is that Mats played it with care, but also in great fun, and that joy is projected onto the listener.
- Matt Giordano

Musique Machine on Dog Holocaust, the noise collaboration of Nolan Throop (Kakerlak) and Dan Johansson (Sewer Election): https://www.musiquemachine.com/reviews/reviews_template.php?id=1987