Louise
Hoffsten – From Linkoping To Memphis (CD)
Sound: B Music:
B
It is always great to hear a new talent and new voice in
music, one starting out with promise and developing distinction early on. Singer/songwriter Louise Hoffsten is
sounding like one of those talents, with a strong-yet-well-phrased vocal on her
new album From Linkoping To Memphis (2005), loaded with mostly original
material and consistent throughout. The
tracks here are:
1) Good For
You
2) Slow
Train
3) Fall
Like Babylon
4) My
Favorite Lie
5) I Wish
You Had My Heart
6) Make The
Most Of It
7) Myggan
8) Rise
9) Shut Up
& Kiss Me
10) Heart of Stone
11) I Still Believe In Us
Though a Bluesy Country style is not this critic’s forte,
I know good music when I hear it and this is that kind of album. In the long run, this could turn out to be a
significant debut for Miss Hoffsten, who could try out her obvious skills in
other genres, but could stay the course and become a premiere singer in her
field. There is a tightrope of empathy
and power that separates the bubblegum female vocalists from the real
thing. Louise Hoffsten is on that short
list.
The PCM 2.0 16Bit/44.1kHz Stereo is just about up to the
task of capturing the fine vocal work and solid musicianship that accompanies
it. I would have loved to hear this in
a 5.1 audio format, preferably SACD, but this will be more than full and clear
enough to put her on the map in any case.
From Linkoping To Memphis is a pleasant surprise.
- Nicholas Sheffo
