Album of the month :
March 2003
CHRISTIAN KJELLVANDER (S) :
" Songs from a two-room chapel "
(Startracks/V2)
Swedes going alt. country ? Seems a bit odd at first sight, but not for Christian Kjellvander. Having spent his childhood and teenage years in the USA, this ex-Loosegoats is certainly more qualified than most of his countrymen to tackle this typically North-American music style.
Even as leader of his former band, Kjellvander had managed to make them evolve from sharp-edged rock'n'roll ( in which they excelled !) to country-rock with undeniable success. Albums like " Her, the city et al" or " Plains, plateaus and mountains" ( Rockomondo's album of the month in july '99) provided examples galore of his warm singing, gifted songwriting and intuitive understanding of American music.
First release under his own name, " Songs from a two-room chapel" displays the same qualities, but allows him also to widen his inspiration and musicianship.
With its compelling push drive, opener Homeward Rolling Soldier is still very much in the late Loosegoats vein, a link between Kjellvander's full-band efforts and his solo work. But Words In The Wires really breaks new ground. The Loosegoats would have played it all guitars plugged. Kjellvander and his new backing band give it a light yet dynamic treatment of acoustic guitars, mandolins and violins to amazing results. This subtle approach is even more obvious on their hushed rendition of Allelujah, one of the album's highlights. On this crystal pure melody, Kjellvander's velvet voice, gently underlined with ghostly backing vocals, sparse harmonium touches and tearful musical-saw licks achieves a heart-rending tenderness and beauty. In contrast, Broken Wheels offers a catchy singalong chorus that should click to radio DJ's ears ( in an ideal world, that is...) while the hazy and nostalgic mood of Log At 25 introduces new Celtic influences, quite unexpected in this context, but which fit perfectly to this story of impossible love. Throughout the album, Kjellvander keeps on blowing hot and cold, switching from mid/uptempo numbers like the violin-driven Oh Night or the horn-laden Polish Daughters, to slower and more melancholic songs like Deliverance or At The Rapids, a killer ballad sung sotto voce on a moving combination of mandolin and pump-organ. The last number, Rid, is another stand-out track. It builds up gradually on a mesmerizing mid-tempo canvas and culminates in a feverish trumpet solo that provides the climax to both song and album.
Sweden can now boast an alt. country artist of its own who is able to match most of our transatlantic heroes. But songs like the atypic Ride prove that our man is not that easy to pigeonhole. Who knows where he'll be next time ?
CHRISTIAN KJELLVANDER :
http://www.christiankjellvander.com/
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