Nina Ramsby & Ludvig Berghe Trio

The title of Nina Ramsby's latest release, "Du har blivit stor nu" worried me. Wtf, this sounds like bourgeoisie pop schmalz about sunday morning coffee and offspring-suburban paradise. Not to worry. The full title is "Du har blivit stor nu (en kamp!)". This is her first record with Ludvig Berghe Trio. I am not familiar with the Trio oeuvre. But I know this sounds good, even though there are some moments where I detect some clichés. Ludvig Berghe's solos get too sweet sometimes, but there are rough edges, too, but they could have been allowed more space. But musically, this is an energetic record that grabs my attention.

Nina Ramsby's vocals are far more jazzier on this album than on "Jazzen". She still keeps the vocal expression centered around a natural, breathy feel. An interesting side note is that Nina Ramsby sings like Bergman talks - serrö, e're, ha'ru (maybe she should have been possessed by a few more dämoner, though). Ramsby's clarinet & cornet solos also add to the same atmosphere of laidback reflection. I would not say that Nina Ramsby's lyrics have really grabbed me so far. Impressionistic, hints of love affairs and disappointments, tricky relations. The lyrics play a competely different role on this album than, for example, on "Visorna". Music & lyrics are tightly interwoven here, as was the case also on her collaboration with Hederos. The comparison with Monica Zetterlund is still relevant, perhaps even more so now. "Visorna" was an emotional rollercoaster for me. This record is good, but it is not a rollercoaster in the same way. Above all: there is no gendered division of labour at play here. I don't like saying it, but it is a relief. The-lovely-female-songbird should be thrown on the garbage heap, together with her colleagues the male, detached, technically competent musician.

"Du har blivit stor nu" is a dynamic composition. One explanation for this impression is the way the vocals are sometimes at the fore, and sometimes at the background of the mix. Another is there being quite a few different types of songs on the album. Sometimes a surprisingly upbeat song breaks off into what could otherwise have been too elegant, too laid-back. The performance of piano player Ludvig Berghe, along with drums and clarinet, contain variation to the extent that the music always displays an element of thrill and exploration.

Perhaps I should add that this is a grower.