Rating:   5 Ratings     12345  

Kristoffer Ragnstam Sweet Bills Bluhammock

      What is music’s most fearless and fertile peninsula? Why, Scandinavia, of course. Maybe all of that “borderless” business has cultivated some very intuitive musical thinkers or maybe this is something passed down from Pliny the Elder himself. Either way the place is absolutely electric right now and the buzz is swelling. Kristoffer Ragnstam’s US debut, Sweet Bills perpetuates that momentum with an album full of un-shy, eclectic tracks that spin off every which way they choose. The expressive multi-instrumentalist (who thanks
?uestlove and eBay in the same breath on his liner notes) is yet another positive mark for the fattening Swedish music scene.

      From the semi-orchestral beauty flow of the dueted title cut to the opening track’s raucous highways and bi-ways, Ragnstam has a cure for every ailment with this disc. He remains on level ground with the current rabble-rousers while giving them all a run for their money through no regrets attitude and posture. Quirky, to be sure, but also quite soulful and strong, it’s the vocal performance on Sweet Bills that provides the most surprises. Despite the fact that some very interesting and inventive musical takes have been caught here, you can get used the twists and turns (if you’ve ever heard more than one Beck song) of cool production much quicker than you can the surprises Ragnstam has up his collar.

      Sweden's reign on exciting Pop music continues through Ragnstam’s grasp of what makes a song intricately linear. This talent makes Sweet Bills and whatever else will follow very exciting to listen to. Played up as the blue collar studio scientist of his Pop contingent, Kristoffer’s lab coat may be one part hammer and one part hype, but regardless, the disc has the right combination of expression and explosion to make Ragnstam along with the rest of the Swedish Movement worth checking in for.

-Joel Armato 06/08/07