It’s difficult to prepare yourself for Fever Ray, the self-titled debut solo effort by Karin Dreijer Andersson, one half of Swedish brother and sister electronica duo The Knife. One expects a more understated take of the act’s 2006 release Silent Shout, yet anyone familiar with the content and style of Dreijer Andersson’s vocals, will have some idea of what to expect from this complex chanteuse.

 Fever Ray is a journey through heavily layered synth tracks accompanied by minimal electro beats and oriental influences. ‘If I had a heart’ is a haunting and intense build up of resonating vocals, while ‘When I grow up’ paints a serene picture of longing using oriental melodies and obscure but sweet lyrics [Run through the moss on high heels/That’s what I’ll do, throwing out boomerang]. ‘Dry and Dusty’ is pure 80s synth-laden pop and ‘Seven’ is the most upbeat song on offer with strong melodic passages and tribal beats. ‘Concrete Walls’ gets into the groove with some blasting funk chords but ‘Keep the streets empty for me’ is the standout track where Dreijer Andersson’s unaffected voice shines amid haunting strings and pan flute. Listening is like being transported to a forest, alone, and she is the tribal matriarch possessing your mind with her intense magic.

 Fever Ray is certainly not a dance album to get asses shaking on the dance floor but then it’s not meant to be; it’s a chilling and intimate insight into an intense personality, so much so that it almost feels intrusive listening to it. It’s a shame that not all of the songs resonate as much as they should, a fault that could be remedied by separating tracks with a slightly more diverse sound. But there’s no doubt Fever Ray transports its audience to a dark and sombre place, exactly where Dreijer Andersson wants them.

- Carley Hall