After 11 years fronting Swedish popsters the Concretes, Victoria Bergsman has pared everything down to allow her delicate, charmingly accented voice to stand on its own. Her solo pursuit is named for her fascination with all things coniferous and deciduous, and Open Field has the same ethereal, quietly beautiful quality as a wintry forest wonderland. Bergsman’s voice is enchanting: lightly dancing and uplifting at times (“Lost And Found”), melancholic and wandering at others (“Tell Me”). Think Audrey Hepburn’s rendition of “Moon River” in Breakfast At Tiffany’s or Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell if she was sent off to contemplate cedar trees and grassy plains. But really, Bergsman’s voice is like no other. True to their organic conception, the songs were built from the vocal melody up, and instrumentation was added only when absolutely necessary. Providing the lightly swelling, drifting score are fellow Swedes Bjorn Yttling (strings) and John Eriksson (percussion) of Peter Bjorn And John, a collaboration that occurred following Bergsman’s appearance on their ubiquitous “Young Folks.” The result is serene, breathtaking and transportive. Whether she’s singing about love, loss or solitude, it’s all filtered through a kaleidoscope of natural, haiku-like simplicity. Stark but not empty, Open Field could induce you to take a secluded stroll through the woods. [www.roughtraderecords.com]
—Jessica Parker
