Swedish Soul
Jon E. Johnson | 08/31/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Early in her career, Lisa Nilsson's releases were in English and produced very much in a Taylor Dayne style. But with her third album, "Himlen Runt Hörnet" (Heaven Around the Corner), she found her true musical voice in Swedish. She recorded English language versions of the singles from that album, but her subsequent efforts have been exclusively in Swedish. VIVA is her third Swedish album (and fifth overall), and the first written almost entirely by herself. Imagine Mariah Carey with REAL soul, and you have an idea of the kind of performances she gives. The first track, "Om Du Var Jag" (If You Were I) reaches out and touches your soul: efter sorgen kommer trösten/men det blir aldrig som förut (after sorrow comes comfort, but it's never like before). Whether she is singing softly or at full force, her voice is clear and her phrasing precise, but at the same time she exudes a warmth and vocal intimacy. Some of the production values on this CD tend to get in the way of that VOICE. Although it's been five years since her last album (Till Morelia) the attempt to catch a contemporary groove is really not THAT neccessary when you have this caliber of material and Nilsson's innate vocal talents. Hopefully we won't have to wait another five years for her next release."
Longing and loving
C. Becker | KY | 11/13/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this CD I can listen to again and again. It always has the same effect, that of making me wish I was listning to it with a sweetheart."
Just By Chance
Ambika | Norway | 05/19/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I happened to catch about a minute of the song 'Tror på dig' on a show last week. My first impression was that she was intentionally tryng to combine the sound of Janet Jackson and Celion Dion. However, when I played the whole CD (I bought it immediately, because the song sounded so promising) I realized that this talented woman has a unique style and sound. It's also quite refreshing to see a talented woman who puts her music before her image. I'm planning to buy some of her earlier albums hoping to be as impressed as I have been with 'Viva'."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1