Barbara Morgenstern - Fjorden

Barbara Morgenstern’s debut album, FJORDEN, shows some of the trademark of her producers—Pole allows his trademark static crackles to permeate his tracks—but Morgenstern’s sensibilities are all her own. The light and dark moods of “Tag Und Nacht” reflect the title itself. The electric lullaby of the title track is both contrasted and augmented by the strings. The strings, indeed, are used to great effect all over the album. Elsewhere, like on the near-love song “Der Hintergedanke” or the futuristic folk strains of “Mjisnjedschaz,” icy German clicks are swept into submission by Morgenstern’s vocals and soothing melodies. The final track, “Der Wunsch Teil Drei,” lays on a piano composition over a cool and isolating rhythm, with an electronic theme repeating in the background. Teutonic future pop!