Fever Ray’s astonishing self-titled album came out 10 years ago today.
After a decade of intense collaboration with her brother Olof in the experimental synth-pop duo The Knife, Karin Dreijer’s debut solo venture was a riveting new chapter for the reclusive Swedish artist.
Applying the unique sonic palette she perfected with The Knife, Dreijer slows down the tempo as she retreats to a darker, more intimate and dangerous place, as if changing venues from the techno clubs of Europe to the corners of her own mind.
Isolated by motherhood and marriage, and working alone for the first time, Dreijer expresses her deepest fears and anxieties through the various characters she embodies with her pitch-shifting vocals.
Fever Ray is a gorgeous, mysterious meditation, and, as we would later learn, a silent shout for help.
Ryan is a writer, editor and vinyl collector currently based in Los Angeles. He started Mini Music Critic in 2017.