Förgänglighet

Åkervinda are a Swedish and Danish quartet of accomplished female vocalists. Trained in jazz, the group also have a deep love for Scandinavian folk music. On their second album, Förgänglighet (which roughly translates to ‘transience’), the group go fully a capella, exploring a darker sound-world than their previous recordings. Their decision to completely dispense with instrumentation is a brave one, but at times the results are truly spectacular. ‘Lär Mig du Skog’ is the finest track on the album and provides a perfect example of the way in which Åkervinda have diversified and expanded their sound.

For all those lovers of Scandinavian trall singing (wordless ‘diddling’), there's plenty on the album to get stuck into. ‘Jag har ett Äpple uti min Lomma’ contains a particularly beautiful trall from the esteemed Danish fiddler Kristine Heebøll.

The more contemporary and experimental tracks on the album meanwhile, such as ‘Improvisation’ and ‘Min ros min Lilja’, lend artistic depth. Although I still occasionally find myself craving some instrumental accompaniment, there's no doubt that Förgänglighet casts a sophisticated and alluring spell.