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CMU Approved
Approved: Agnes Obel
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 25 August 2010
Copenhagen-born, Berlin-based singer-songwriter Agnes Obel released her debut single, ‘Just So’. in Europe last year (under the name Obél). The track was promptly picked up in Germany for a Deutsche Telekom television advert, shooting her to fame in the country. She released her debut EP, ‘Riverside’, in the UK in May, and is set to re-issue it on ten-inch vinyl next month, ahead of her debut album, ‘Philharmonic’, on 4 Oct.
The formula for her songs is simple; gentle piano playing underpins her soft vocals, which build into intricate harmonies. Simple, and also effective. The EP’s title track, ‘Riverside’, which you can hear on Obel’s MySpace player, has a lilting, almost lullaby-like quality, the piano on the verse twinkling like sunlight on water. However, this same sound takes a darker turn on her cover of John Cale’s ‘(I Keep A) Close Watch’. And if you want to know how all this comes across live, she will be supporting Mercury nominees I Am Kloot on their upcoming UK tour.