Fortress around my heart

Nordic pop chanteuses are ten a krona these days. There’s Bjork, Nina, Lykke and whoever it was that sang ‘Young Folks’ with Peter, Bjorn and John. Hell, even ABBA are said to be contemplating stepping out from the shadows of the pine trees.
And into this increasingly overcrowded fray enters Ida Maria Sivertsen, amidst much talk about a feisty temperament and outspoken reputation. While we generally treat such claims with a healthy dollop of cynicism, on Fortress Round My Heart, Sivertsen certainly packs more attitude and swagger than your archetypal Scandi songstress.
You probably already know ‘Stella’ – the hooker-themed pop vignette, much loved by fad obsessed industry types. It’s not quite the “midpoint between The Strokes and Amy Winehouse” they’re pitching, rather an updated version of ‘Jimmy Mack’ with guitars. Other highlights, ‘Queen Of The World’ and ‘Keep Me Warm’, are a little slicker and more stylized than we’d prefer but they, like most tracks here, perform their job with an uncompromising conviction. Only the flimsy and annoying ‘Oh My God’ foregoes the overriding musical and attitudinal influence of Chrissie Hynde and veers dangerously into Avril Lavigne territory.
Alas, Sivertsen’s undeniable vocal prowess is marred by her overly mannered backing band, whose watery instrumentation serves to undermine each emotionally-charged quaver. While the gap between her performing talents and songwriting skills is too large to make this anything more than a promising debut, it’s certainly enough to suggest that her next move could be intriguing.