On the Swedish Sweaters

I had a professor in college that said something along the lines of, “It’s easy to recognize the genius in something groundbreaking and harder to appreciate the subtleties of something that’s been done before.”  Incidentally he was also a huge fan of the “perfect pop-song nugget” format, as am I.

I think this is a great example:  it doesn’t push boundaries, there isn’t a whole lot to analyze, there is little that is unpredictable.  But it’s simple and honest and earnest and pure and human, which is a big part of what motivates humans to make art, something to communicate, something to identify with.  

Her voice is pretty, bruised but not broken, insistent.  It’s a balanced tone that underscores the lyrical themes better than any melodramatic wail or whisper possibly could.  

Favourite lyric:  ”You’re cutting diamonds with a rubber knife.”