Västerbottens Folkblad 140217
By: HENRY LÅNG
One of the country’s best singers visited Umeå • Treated us to several grains of gold
MUSIC
HELEN SJÖHOLM
Idun Theatre, UMEÅ
★ ★ ★ ★
Audience: Sold out
Best: “The kiss” .
Worst: “Glad och lycklig”.
Feels like a trifle in this context.
She says it herself: a sprawling mixture of genres is on the program. Very few in the packed auditorium should have been surprised by that announcement. Helen Sjöholm is notorious and appreciated for her ability to jump between different styles. Indeed it also becomes a varied show: she and the four boldly backing musicians meritoriously tackle traditional ballads, vocal jazz, musical tunes, instrumental pieces and elegantly arranged rock, interspersed with monologues that sometimes are bouncy, but usually provide a context to the songs performed.
That we are talking about one of the country’s foremost singers hardly needs to be added; Sjöholm’s clear diction and timbre rich voice fit both ballads and pop. And it’s awe-inspiring with an artist who naturally can tie together Kristina från Duvemåla’s parade number “Du måste finnas” with Depeche Mode’s dark “Heaven” (nicely stretched by Jojje Wadenius’ guitar solo), and kick life into Staffan Hellstrand’s “Fanfar” and make Olof von Dalin’s acid 1700s morality “Ombytlighet – vår tids Gudinna” seem relevant.
And despite the width of expression it’s possible to find a common denominator for the evening’s most memorable covers: dramatic intensity, combined with beautiful harmonies. It’s evident in the Swedish-language version by Joni Mitchell’s “Both sides now”, as well as in “Ärlighet” – Tomas Andersson Wij’s fine print translation of Billy Joel’s “Honesty”. The real highlight, however, is the empathetic version of Judee Sill’s “The kiss”. You can hear it is a song that Helen Sjöholm neither can nor want to shake off. I fully understand her.
Source: Västerbottens Folkblad