Frida Hyvšnen

There’s a conservative cowardice to sticking to an approach similar to the medieval troubadours – and certainly the personal breed of singer-songwriter is less experimental than the English balladeer who wrote “The Three Ravens”. However, cowardice and narcissism go hand-in-hand, which is to say that those flaws can be instrumental in strong art. Furthermore, the mid-century has become our Middle Ages. Sweden’s Frida Hyvšnen treats 1950s rock ‘n’ roll with a devotion worthy of the Borgias and while the totalising sensitivity of her lyrics might suggest self-absorption, that’s balanced by her ability to project identifiable emotional narratives. Swedes are usually better at English lyrics than native speakers are. They may not feel more, but they’ve learned the tools to fake it. And isn’t that what self-expression is all about?