Phantom
2005
2
About This Album
Heikki, the collaboration between the Concretes' Maria Eriksson and producer Jari Haapalainen, is virtually a Swedish indie pop mini-supergroup. Their first full-length (and Stateside debut) Heikki 2 shows off the duo's unique mix of '60s pop, folk and country influences. Initially, the way the album switches between sugar-buzz pop and pastoral ballads seems a little jumbled, but with repeat listens, it feels more eclectic than scattered. Eriksson's sweet-but-strong vocals, aided and abetted by Ellekari "The Tiny" Larsson and Tove Leander's backing harmonies, hold Heikki 2 together despite its stylistic shifts. Eriksson and Haapalainen have affection and understanding for early-'60s pop that is second to none, as well as an understanding of how to adapt it into something that sounds fresh and timeless all at once. Indeed, songs like the fantastic album opener "Former Hero" and "Give It Back to You" are so strong and immediately catchy that they almost overpower Heikki 2's more delicate moments; however, ballads like "Election Day" and the gorgeous, unconventionally romantic "I Can't Stand (To See Someone Hurt)" are also standouts, albeit gentle ones.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,4,6 and 10)

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