Theresa Andersson

In the days of YouTube, there's no shortage of homemade singers and albums, and Swedish-born songstress Theresa Andersson is no exception with her new album Hummingbird, Go! Not only is it a disc that she crafted in her New Orleans home, but it's also one recorded, uniquely, in her kitchen. Of all places, she makes such a makeshift studio work—and with nary an amateur misstep. In fact, with the help of household items, including soda pop bottles on "The Waltz," Andersson handily turns conventional pop on its ear. It's about time.

Of the record and its music Andersson says, "I stopped thinking in terms of traditional songwriting. Elements which are more earthy and organic inspired me." That's why Hummingbird relies heavily upon ambient noise in the vein of Imogen Heap. Andersson loves to take puffs of breath and the chitters of night critters, spin them through her loop pedal, and sing along with the newfound soundscapes. There's also plenty of her choice instrument, the violin, too. And then, of course, there's her sultry voice, which often comes across sounding like a less delicate Feist. We're sold.

For certain, this record could have suffered from being too avant-garde; Andersson could have ended up in a hodgepodge realm of too many oddities and gimmicks. Instead, tracks like "Na Na Na (Empty Heart)" and the beautifully restrained yarn, "God's Highway," bristle with lush talent and fresh creativity. And let's not forget the slightly jazzy standout track, "Birds Fly Away," and its fitting use of the oft overlooked glockenspiel. Thank you very much: Hummingbird, Go! may have been born in the kitchen, but it's a record to be enjoyed in any room of the house.

—Matthew Allard
09.22.08

Stylistically, Theresa Andersson has not been easy to pin down as a recording artist. Although the Swedish vocalist/New Orleans transplant has recorded some torchy, jazz-influenced material, some people have described her as a roots rock/Americana/country-rock type of artist and compared her to folks like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Loveless, Nanci Griffith, and Victoria Williams -- and, to be sure, those have been valid comparisons at times. Listeners who have had a hard time categorizing Andersson will find that she isn't any easier to categorize on Hummingbird, Go!, which finds her taking a somewhat psychedelic turn. Perhaps the best way to describe this 2008 release is "adult alternative pop/rock and folk-rock with soul and psychedelic influences." Tracks like "Birds Fly Away," "Locusts Are Gossiping," "Clusters," and "Na Na Na" have a hazy, spacy, dreamy quality; it's the sort of haziness that makes you feel like you have stepped into the aural equivalent of a David Lynch film. And according to the credits, this 36-minute CD was recorded in an unlikely place: Andersson's kitchen, where she had a band but made rhythmic use of things like wine glasses and beer bottles. But despite not being recorded in a conventional fashion -- that is, in a recording studio or at a live gig -- Hummingbird, Go! is not an exercise in strangeness for the sake of strangeness. Andersson brings a real sense of songcraft to the project, and many of her melodies are appealingly ethereal. Andersson doesn't have a huge voice; her vocals are on the thin side. But she knows how to make the most of what she has; that was evident on previous releases and continues to be evident on the surprisingly psychedelic-influenced Hummingbird, Go! ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide