The review of the (Hello Saferide - The Fox, The Hunter And Hello Saferide)

*from my tumblr a couple months ago

Hello Saferide - The Fox, The Hunter And Hello Saferide

Why you'll love it:  A sweet spot between heartbreaking and charming

Why you'll hate it:  If the lyrics don't click, you'll be bored.

To write a fun song that stays on the radio for generations is a great accomplishment. Something that becomes THE lasting memory of a certain mood or place.  Something that can reach out and bridge the gap to a complete stranger, stretching across even lifetimes.  It’s another thing to write a song that in just a brief time, offers those same strangers a true glimpse into the writer’s psyche.  That’s the kind of songwriting Annika Norlin excels at in her latest Hello Saferide album.  Even if her songs don’t evoke anything within yourself, you feel like you’ve gotten to know her on a personal level.  That’s really hard to do!

Annika’s songwriting first got my attention in 2006, with her Hello Saferide debut.  Back then, I was referring to her as the female version of Dr. Frank; with a sharp wit in creating quirky and cute songs about relationships. Hello Saferide’s sophomore effort took a grim turn, and was just plain uncomfortable to listen to.  With the Swedish language project, Säkert!, Annika took the time to explore her darker songwriting style, and find a more interesting way to package it.

Hello Saferide’s return is no less heartbreaking than where it was left.  “Dad Told Me” is a heavy tale of inherited depression, be that through “sadness in the DNA” or “trouble in the family”.  The song “Raspberry Lips” sways at a nauseating prom night pace, until the tone shift and unveils “a darkness, and it’s dying to get out”.  A haunting number, “This Body” closes off the album with mysterious uncertainty, in lyrics such as “It’s like finding a hidden door in the house you always lived in.”

The difference here is Annika’s ability to insert charming lines or an off rhythm delivery where you least expect it.
“I get home and kick my books.  Fuuaaa-ck youuuu knowledge!”
"I went to a mountain just to be sure it was a mountain.  I stood at the top and said ‘Man, this surely is a mountain’”
And of course, and few lines in “I Was Jesus” that are delivered so fast they’re not even presented in the lyric music video for the song!

There are two standout songs on here.  One being “The Crawler”; which at first seems like another cute and funny look into Annika’s insecurities in public.  The focus eventually shits to being about a man who carelessly exercises in public, to the grief of nearby patrons.  I don’t know if this is a song about comparing introverts and extroverts, or maybe a statement on how a society breaks down when people begin to act out from within it.  Either way, it’s a fascinating song, presented with an intimate tone.

The other great song on here is a bit of a throwback, stylistically.  On “Last Night Bus”, Annika sings in the same perky high pitch as she had on the Hello Saferide debut.  It’s done with good reason, too; as the song is an anecdote about her teenage years.  With much courage and faith in the listener, Annika sings about herself befriending Neo Nazis and enjoying their music.  Much like “The Crawler”, this song reveals itself halfway through, as the story continues into some wonderful musings about growing up, maturing, and pondering what shapes your very being at your most impressionable of moments.

“The Fox, The Hunter And Hello Saferide” is far from a total package album.  I’m wondering if it will even be in my top ten in this rather dry year for music.  From a songwriting critique… nothing else lately has even come close. Top scientists need to somehow splice her DNA with that of a no substance / all style band like Spoon.  You’d have music powerful enough to end holy wars.

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[END OF THE YEAR UPDATE] - I'm still very impressed by Norlin's creativeness on this album.  I wish the music itself was more interesting, though.   Musically, this album does the very least it needs to do to set the tone.  I'm still under its spell, regardless; so it may get an honorary spot in the top ten.