Sigrid - Sucker Punch

Drowned In Sound 80

Undoubtedly, the answer is yes, as Sigrid has created an eclectic, original yet incredibly memorable first record. Carving out her own sonic niche in a crowded space, Sucker Punch has a lot of songs which stand out on first listen, not blurring into one, with distinct themes and differentiation.

Opener ‘Sucker Punch’ has already received a lot of airtime but I wanted to highlight it as it’s such a strong first track. This is just a really meticulously-engineered and perfected pop song, a real mix of personality with precise ingredients to ensure this song’s earworm qualities are as finely-tuned as possible.

Delving in deeper lyrically, ‘Basic’ is a more emotionally fraught song, as is ‘Vain’, which I didn’t like on first listen but gets more likeable with beautiful harmony accentuating the bridge section. The end of the song parachutes into a whole new territory, with the addition of extensive synths creating a powerful ending. These more pared-back, quiet songs showcase Sigrid’s versatility and hint at more to come.

The beautiful ‘Level Up’ is another high point, gently understated but with a knowing undertone behind the words. I love how the introduction of violins complements the echoing acoustic guitar and the unpredictable melody in the chorus creates an element of nonchalance. The way the words and music work together in this song is rare to come across, and hard to explain, but the relationship is intimate and cohesive like two sides of the same coin, making for exceptional artistry.

At the risk of quite a basic comparison, ‘Sight of You’ comes across like a sequel to ABBA’s ‘Super Trouper’, with similar instrumentation and theme. I love the upbeat abandon that comes along with this song, it’s very different to the rest of the album’s content but it works really well. Another strong track is ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’, which was one of the pre-released songs from the record, deeply wrought in feeling and delivered exceptionally with a steady build of layered sounds.

It’s a great debut, but it’s not perfect; for me, ‘Strangers’ is a real dampener. As Sigrid’s most commercially successful song to date, and her first top ten UK chart hit, its prominence over other songs surprises me, as I find the chorus a little irritating. In the same vein, ‘Business Dinners’ is diminished by heavy-handed production which is too aggressively interruptive.

The final track, ‘Dynamite’, provides a perfect close to Sigrid’s opening statement of an album, quietly introspective and peaceful to listen to. Overall, this is one of the best pop records I’ve heard in a long while. Imbued with a defiant refusal to succumb to external pressure or fall into the well-worn paths of similar artists who have trodden this road in the past, Sigrid has created a truly unique and recognisable debut record which I’m sure is a sign of spectacular things to come.

The Guardian 60

(Island Records)

In 2017, Sigrid Raabe made instantaneous waves with her debut single, Don’t Kill My Vibe. A piece of precision-tooled Scandipop, it saw the Norwegian singer decry patronising male influence in the music industry via a whooping falsetto, bombastic 80s drums and a tapestry of chattering synths.

The Guardian 60

(Island)

Though perhaps overmuch critical mileage has been made of young Norwegian Sigrid’s tendency to – gasp – not wear much makeup, it’s hard to deny that in toxic times, the clarity of her fresh-scrubbed sound really is a wholesome blast of fresh air. Strangers is the keynote song of the former BBC Sound Of winner’s debut: winsome melodies, arrestingly authentic lyrics, jagged electro-pop synths arcing into euphoria.

Bravely, she’s left off other previous hits – no Plot Twist or the powerhouse High Five – but there’s plenty to match them. The title track has a Robyn-like playfulness, deploying pitch-shifting effects to denote wobbling nerves before romping in with a clean, rushing Max Martin-ish chorus. Even better is Basic, a beautifully millennial supercharged love song of overthinking romantic frustration.

Pitchfork 60

On her debut, the Norwegian pop phenom offers a patina of fresh-faced authenticity and not much else.