Jessica Winnberg
To You Friends And Helpers
JW/Border

Jessica Winnberg is a gifted young singer from Sweden. Her debut album was released by the singer herself then picked up for wider distribution by Border. Vocally she resembles Stina Nordenstam. "Inbetween" deals with lost love like many other songs here. It shivers with sadness and the instrumentation quietly supports it. "I lost my voice" sings Winnberg although she clearly hasn't.

"At The Train Station" has a truly great use of strings, subtle rather than overwhelming. The piano ballad "You're Gone" is beautifully shaped, like a flawless jewel. Here Winnberg's voice expresses sorrow while being no louder than a whisper. It's a rare gift to make such small gestures count.

Jessica Winnberg shows a lot of promise already. To You Friends And Helpers is the ultimate soundtack to a slow sunday spent contemplating life's hardships.

Copyright © 2002 Anna Maria Stjärnell