Gothenburg singer-songwriter Erik Jonasson has a special voice, and on HYBRIS he gives it the best possible clothing. This is the sort of record you would listen to late night – with a very ambient and widescreen approach that uses little percussion but packs an emotional punch. Jonasson offers a cover version of Adele’s When We Were Young to start, which thankfully takes it appreciably away from the original and into his own world, being beautifully scored at the same time. His voice is pure, inhabiting the stillness of ‘Like A Funeral’ and ‘Autumn Falls’ with a purity that proves to be really comforting. “I’m feeling like a black sheep but I’ve been here before”, he says on ‘Without Direction’, opening up to insecurities but at the same time banishing them with music that sounds settled. Instrumentally this is an uncomplicated listen, with some nice electronics round the end, and the odd solo such as the tasteful sax that closes out ‘Horizon’. With Jonasson’s voice, though, ‘Words’ is cool but often profound.
Ben Hogwood. 3 out of 5
ERIK JONASSON – WORDS – HYBRIS
