If music is a product of environment, then presumably Nicole Sabouné grew up clinging to the side of a mountain in her native Sweden. Laughing as the Fellowship was repulsed by the snows of Caradhras. In other words, it was bloody cold.
Her second album, Miman, is a dark and beautiful beast. Feeling almost like it has stepped out of a fairy-tale, a black queen wreathed in ice. While there will be many albums this year that will be heavier than this piece of post-punk, there will be very few that capture darkness in the same way.
Take the marching drums that drive ‘Bleeding Faster’ forward. Its beat pounding alongside the sweeping music and the intense sound of what appears to be a child calling for their mother. It’s a song that lingers in the mind, unsettling you for reasons that you can never quite grasp.
It’s a power this entire album possesses. As a piece of art it is meant to be taken as a whole, and while individual singles would retain certain elements, I find it hard to believe they would have the same effect. ‘Bleeding Faster’ moves into ‘Under Stars (For The Lovers)’ and it into ‘Lifetime’ and even as tones change and lyrics alter there is a sense that you are listening to a complete body of work. Something that is taking you on a journey, and while you might not understand everything it is telling you, you will get enough.
You can’t talk about Miman without talking about Sabouné’s voice which is central to everything on this album. On tracks like the intense ‘Withdraw’, which is over seven minutes long, it takes over completely, so enchanting that it’s almost scary. On ‘Frozen’ she manages to sound both vulnerable and still have a strength that few can compete with. It’s alluring and yet cold, and it’s that which best sums up this album.
If you have come to RAMzine in search of loud guitars and rock and roll attitude, then Nicole Sabouné was probably not what you expected to find. This is a quieter and more measured affair. However, this is without a doubt an album that belongs in our world. It’s a personal and often chilling journey, and it challenges you every step of the way. In the bleak coldness of January at the start of a new year, I can’t think of a better soundtrack to the long nights.
