Västerbottens-Kuriren 140215
By: CARL AHLSTRÖM
MUSIC
Helen Sjöholm
Location: Idun, Folkets Hus
Audience: Sold out
Best: The versatility and the voice
Worst: Occasionally the sound
With a surprising musical width Helen Sjöholm delivers a brilliant concert at a sold out Idun Theatre. The singer, who might usually be associated with musicals and the Swedish charts top hit “Du är min man”, on Friday evening shows how many genres that can be accommodated in an amazing voice. Sjöholm possess that unique ability to tackle a sprawling and varied repertoire and shape it into a music sculpture characterized by personality and joy. Together with some of her well-known armour-bearers, like Jojje Wadenius on guitar and Martin Östergren on piano, she moves through everything from Laleh to Cat Stevens.
It’s a cheerful and spirited Sjöholm who enters the Idun stage on Friday evening. She’s bursting with energy both in voice and body. In the small talk between songs she doesn’t hold back. Probably it’s the acting Helen who pops up now and then and delivers anecdotes with a lot of (though a bit rehearsed) charm. There’s plenty of humor and self-distance.
The evening’s highlight, however, is the voice. Sjöholm’s mighty voice withstands the whole concert, through high and low. With great accuracy she does nice interpretations of Laleh’s “Vårens första dag”, Costello and McCartney’s Veronica, Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know and so on. It’s extremely elegant and in every new song she shows her versatile vocal power.
Some instrumental pieces are also given space in the program. Jojje Wadenius impresses with his song “Kärleksmorgon” and on piano Östergren shines with his piece from the musical Peter Pan.
Close to the end of the concert we get to hear what we all were waiting for. Hardly a tone was taken on “Du måste finnas” before the Idun Theatre vibrates with applause. With due right. The classic song is a dramatic love story that is told with an emotive voice. With “Du är min man” this Valentine Day Concert ends in its perhaps involuntary love theme, and Sjöholm leaves us with a warming, nicely sounding feeling in our body.