Brun is a Norwegian singer/songwriter residing in Stockholm for the past decade. Her late-2011 album It all Begins with One (US release on May 1) strikes me as remarkable metamorphosis from the atmospheric folk of her 3 earlier albums towards the art pop of K. Bush, and has wound its way into my brain over the past few weeks. Presenting a few extracts here so I can stop flogging it on Outloud.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t18FhA6QmlM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lI30Qw69AQ"Do You Remember" is now available as a free download
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-184T12ZRFU
― Sanpaku, Saturday, 11 February 2012 22:12 (thirteen years ago)
I like Headphone Silence
― Shin Oliva Suzuki, Sunday, 12 February 2012 22:04 (thirteen years ago)
This is still really good
― boxedjoy, Sunday, 20 January 2013 13:56 (twelve years ago)
Classic. "These Days" is one of the most disarming love songs i've ever heard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s5ihWIywzg
― Week of Wonders (Ross), Saturday, 2 September 2017 21:52 (seven years ago)
It's not a love song. She's singing about her depression.
― antipathetic pleiotropy (Sanpaku), Saturday, 2 September 2017 22:57 (seven years ago)
ah fuck. OK, but songs can mean multiple things to people (i suffer from depression ftw)
― Week of Wonders (Ross), Saturday, 2 September 2017 22:58 (seven years ago)
That said, its probably my favorite song about living with the black dog.
― Special Egyptian Guest Star (Sanpaku), Sunday, 3 September 2017 01:05 (seven years ago)
Sure, but I still stand by songs are open to interpretation. Being corrected for not knowing the agenda behind the song sucks.
cheers anyway, i understand the song in a new way
― Week of Wonders (Ross), Sunday, 3 September 2017 01:22 (seven years ago)
I'm not sure if I've read anywhere where she talks about the lyrics. I just don't see any love in the lyrics. Just resignation at living with a dark companion that never leaves.
― Special Egyptian Guest Star (Sanpaku), Monday, 4 September 2017 13:02 (seven years ago)
yeah that's fair Sanpaku - used to share this song with an ex, so the idea of her splitting with me very much applies to "i just walk with you" - because we were still friends, but distant as lovers
― Week of Wonders (Ross), Monday, 4 September 2017 18:59 (seven years ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3S6hXmX1UY
― Week of Wonders (Ross), Sunday, 22 October 2017 21:38 (seven years ago)
A whole album of this was a bit of a slog. I liked her version of Mariah's "Hero" though.
― Jeff W, Monday, 23 October 2017 19:17 (seven years ago)
agree with you, Jeff. Big fan of her prior 1 Thing, Halo and Joga covers. But this release is in a similarly dour mode than the peter gabriel covers albums he released late in his career. Just cuz a song is made sad doesn't mean it adds up to much
― Week of Wonders (Ross), Tuesday, 24 October 2017 00:54 (seven years ago)
i liked the Radiohead cover, but the rest was almost astonishingly bad, and the production wasn't really top notch as well (or 'interesting'). If you're going to do a cover album, you have to bring surprises at sóme (other) level. Like instrument choices, a string arrangment, etc.
― Ludo, Tuesday, 24 October 2017 19:50 (seven years ago)
It all starts with one is a fucking great album. Wins a Swedish music award but barely registers otherwise.
― In a slipshod style (Ross), Sunday, 10 December 2017 13:44 (seven years ago)
The new album is shocking. It might as well be an audition reel for the new John Lewis Xmas advert. She has written some great songs but an album of covers with the contours of her voice sanded down just seems such a waste of any potential.
― boxedjoy, Sunday, 10 December 2017 14:33 (seven years ago)
Maybe there's a stronger tradition of covers albums in Scandinavian domestic markets, but they always signal late-career creative bankruptcy to me. I'll patiently wait for the next album.
― Sanpaku, Sunday, 10 December 2017 14:47 (seven years ago)