CMU Approved

Approved: Anna Von Hausswolff

By | Published on Monday 25 March 2013

Anna Von Hausswolff

It’s not often you hear contemporary albums driven largely by church organ. There was Arcade Fire’s ‘Neon Bible’, but even that only used it a couple of times. I suppose you either need to be very confident or a bit foolish to make it your instrument of choice. Whichever Anna Von Hausswolff is, it paid off, because the Swedish musician’s second album, ‘Ceremony’, is really excellent.

The new long player will be released in the UK on 1 Jun by City Slang. With both atmospheric organ-led instrumentals and songs lifted by Von Hausswolff’s bold, slightly eccentric vocals, it’s not a record it’s easy to come at blind. It is, nonetheless, one that rewards you greatly if you stick with it.

Ensuring that the ground is prepared, the label is pre-promoting the release with second track ‘Deathbed’. Clocking in at almost nine minutes in total, at just before four minutes in it starts stamping slowly along like a giant walking in slow motion over mountains, and it’s almost five before the vocals even start. But, as I say, stick with it and it will reward you in kind.

Listen and download ‘Deathbed’ here:

Anna Von Hausswolff will be supporting Efterklang in the UK next month, as well as playing her own headline show at The Wilmington Arms in London on 22 Apr. Then she’ll be back in August for the Green Man Festival.

For a bit of a quicker route into the Von Hausswolff sound (honestly, no stamina, you people), check out the video for alternative track ‘Mountains Crave’ here:



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