Barometern 2021-11-27
By: ALEXANDER FORSLUND
Since her great debut as Kristina from Duvemåla, Helen Sjöholm has grown to become a musical giant. The performance in the Kalmar Hall leaves very little room for complaint.
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It often feels unserious, unprofessional, to speak as a critic in superlative and absolute terms. But in Helen Sjöholm’s case, I´m completely comfortable with saying that she possesses Sweden’s most pleasant singing voice. In addition to the qualities of her voice, she´s popularly brusque and superhumanly graceful in one. A living paradox, something very special. And of course I sit here and crawl shamelessly, but is there really anyone who thinks otherwise?
And when the star has a voice that penetrates most things, it´s of course possible to use. For example, by highlighting other focus points in the act.
In addition to her, there are also a handful of clinically skilled musicians on stage, whose skills are fully utilized. The band is given the place they deserve; they are high in the sound mix and during the evening we are offered more than a couple of solos and jazzy extravagances. Among the musicians we find the bassist Martin Höper from Kalmar. When the show is over, it´s a highly warming sight to see him step down from the stage and hug his loved ones who have come here.
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It will also be a lot Så mycket bättre (So much better), since last summer’s participation. In other cases, one could have sighed at that, if it were not for the fact that her interpretations were – and are – really strong. Markus Krunegård’s Korallreven och vintergatan (The Coral Reef And Milky Way), Jakob Hellmans Hon har ett sätt (She Has A Way) and Loreen’s Euphoria has been scaled up further since we last heard them and they are all among the highlights of the evening. And then of course we have the classics. Du måste finnas (You Have To Be There), Gabriella’s song, Du är min man (You Are My Man). We hear all of these, and they don´t sound worse today than when they first, as comets, fell down on the Swedish music scene.
Everything falls into place in the Kalmar Hall. The penetrating song, the burning song interpretations, the intelligent lighting and the highly competent band. Helen Sjöholm and her entourage don´t leave much room for complaint.
(The full review is not reproduced for copyright reasons)