Anna Ternheim – Leaving on a mayday

To catch everyone up on this singer/songwriter, she quietly debut her album Somebody Outside in 2004 and was recognized as “Best Newcomer” on the Swedish Grammy and P3 Guld award. For Separation Road won “Best Female Artist” and “Best Lyricist” after two other nominations for the Grammy. So clearly, she was well-established in her hometown.

Unfortunately, repackaging her US album Halfway to Fivepoints with the best bits from her two albums, released last year was a good introduction – but it didn’t exactly set the US on fire.

I hope all that will change with producer Bjorn Yttling (of PB&J) on her side for Leaving on a mayday (US release August 11^th on Verve Forecast), will change all that. In fact, it already won Best Female Artist” and “Album of the Year” in her home town.

I felt, based on the two US albums is that Yttling understand that Ternheim has a beautiful voice. No vocal trickery (goodbye, autotune) her voice comes through piercingly clear. Any effort to bring in orchestral seems to be met with it being only used in background arrangements. Check out her single, “What Have I Done”, which was recently remixed by El Perro Del Mar, it shows off both Yttling’s organization around Ternheim’s angelic vocals.

Lyrically, I feel that Ternheim seems to write a lot about running away, unfamiliar locations, being hurt or “damaged”, to yearning for unobtainable desires. Very personal lyrics, and I’m curious to see how that is interpreted when she plays some these songs live, particularly on my favorite track, “Black Sunday Afternoon”. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to see that when she comes here in Minneapolis on October 9^th with Loney Dear* and Asobi Seksu).

Leaving on a mayday is out now, you can find it at the usual places, amazon or itunes.

* PS, I have for ages thought that name was “Lonely Dear”, until I was schooled a few months ago.