Many Voices Speak

Many Voices Speak is the brainchild of Swedish artist Matilda Mard, and 'Tank Town' - her debut album - is perhaps best summed up as 'understated'. This is a record where melancholic guitar lines weave themselves around sparse electronic beats whilst keyboards shimmer away in the background, all the better to showcase Mard's undeniably beautiful voice.

Written and recorded in the small Swedish town of Borlange, many of the record's softer moments - including the title track, with its "outside the city lights" refrain - could serve as a fine soundtrack to the coming of another cold Swedish winter evening, ideally with a wood fire and blanket for company.

That's not to say, however, that all of 'Tank Town' is mere background music. 'I Saw You' builds gradually from just voice and piano to a driving indie/pop gem that finds the happy middle ground between Interpol and The XX, whilst first single 'Chances' combines an almost Cure-esque melody and insistent beat that will echo in your head long after its four minutes have played out.

If there's a weak point to be found here, it's that the musical arrangements are sometimes so stripped-back as to be unmemorable, with the likes of 'Bad Woman' and closing track 'Your Name' just drifting by pleasantly with only Mard's voice to capture your attention. in general, though, 'Tank Town' is a fine slice of Swedish melancholia.