The second album from Anna Öberg is a grittier affair than her previous effort.
Vafan har jag gjort! [EN: “What the Fuck Have I Done!”] doesn’t come with a question mark in the title, because it is a statement.
Dramatic, punchy and aggressive, Vafan… is a challenging electronic album. The opener, “Jag blir inte kysst” [EN: “I Will Not Be Kissed”], isn’t pining for contact so much as setting boundaries. The addition of Machinista’s singer, John Lindqwister, adds dimensions to the song.
The title track is storming dark wave material. Dual oscillators play against each other with sinister intent while Öberg alternates between a sing-song verse and choruses that break like waves over the thundering bass.
There are strong, positive sounds in “Fortforande 16” [EN: “Popular 16”]. John Foxx’s Metamatic has left its DNA in some of the synthetic styling, while Öberg’s vocals are terrific in their electronic environment.
The force of the album is a step up in intensity from 2017’s Härsknar: this is easy listening for the hard of hearing.