Fredrik is a new remarkable pop outfit, casually capturing the spirit of classic storybook drama through a highly personal, foresty brand of experimental pop. Despite the name, Fredrik is actually a small orchestra of six, sporting input from some of the very finest of the swedish pop and experimental underground (Band in Box, Scraps of Tape, Vit Pals, The LK). Drawing on traditional european folk influences like The Fairport Convention or Bo Hansson, crooning songwriters as well as a host of eclectic references like Moondog, Steve Reich, Jim O'Rourke, Maja Ratke or Barbara Morgenstern, Fredrik forges a sound that is both eclectic and homecomingly soothing.
Some of the peaks of the debut album "Na Na Ni" evoke a very primal feeling of being ten years old again, lost in a dark, threatening forest with only a faint, humming voice leading you to safety. But apart from the sheer escapism the music carries a considerable emotional heft. Themes of light versus darkness, good versus evil as well as coming-of-age and seasonal changes are painted in rough but colourful strokes, leaving just enough room for us to fill in the blanks. The lyrics and vocal expression, although sketchy and subdued, also manage to punctuate the episodes of the record with remarkable clarity. This is apparent in the low key narration of Evil and I: "we could analyze what has caused me so much pain, i didn't mean it" or the slammer "noble blood will nobly die" from the album opener "Black Fur".
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