Amanda Mair - Amanda Mair

Wunderkind #2

Das zweite Wunderkind heißt Amanda Mair, hat einen österreichischen Vater und eine finnische Mutter, stammt aber von einer Insel vor Stockholm und ist gerade einmal 17 Jahre alt.

Das schwedische Labrador Label nahm sie unter Vertrag, nachdem Johan Angergård (Club 8, The Legends) Demo-Aufnahmen der damals noch 15jährigen gehört hatte. Nach den Singles "House" und "Doubt", die im letzten Jahr erschienen, folgen nun mit "Sense" und "Amanda Mair" eine weitere Single und ihr von Philip Ekström (The Mary Onettes) produziertes Debütalbum.

Freunden von Lykke Li, Bat For Lashes, Kate Bush und Fleetwood Mac zu empfehlen.

Von dem oft gehörten Kate Bush-Vergleich möchte Amanda Mair nichts wissen. So hält sie im Videoclip zu "Sense", der Bob Dylans "Subterranean Homesich Blues" nachempfunden ist, zunächst ein Schild mit dem Satz "Who is Kate Bush" hoch, um danach mit "I prefer Spice Girls" noch einen nachzulegen:

Amanda Mair "Sense" from Labrador Records on Vimeo.

Und auch diesem Wunderkind gibt Deutschland ein wenig Zeit, denn von einer physischen Veröffentlichung hierzulande ist noch nichts bekannt.

The end result isn’t really the Swedish version of Dusty in Memphis (Amanda in Stockholm, anyone?) and it’d be silly to compare Amanda Mair to that legend at this stage in her career; in any case her vocals bear more comparison to Kate Bush, an artist Mair admitted she hadn’t heard of (more of which later) when recording debut album Amanda Mair. It’s a pure pop record, bearing all the hallmarks of a Labrador release: pristine production, big hooks, melodies galore and above all, plenty of quality.

‘Said and Done’ opens proceedings with some Eastern strings and develops into a mid-tempo song about having no regrets, with Mair backed by clever percussion and stabs of piano. ‘Doubt’ begins with Spectoresque drums and bright keys, and Mair singing: “I run from the people I love, I will always stay true to my heart”. The track develops into a fizzing ’80s pop song, and a chorus filled with, ahem, doubt: (...)

This is the sound of a song written by someone with experience, sung by someone who’s yet to go through all the ups and downs of love but who can translate the song and relate it to her own nascent experiences. To do that takes a talent, and Mair has it: she’s got intuition to go with her great voice. ‘House’ is a moving song about an apartment shared with a former lover that no longer holds its appeal, and it’s here we can hear that Kate Bush voice in all its glory. The backing track is suitably epic and defined, but doesn’t overpower Mair’s voice by layering on the paino-and-strings motif too thickly.

The click and swing of ‘Sense’ is probably the highlight of the album, its ’60s girl group vibe a real delight, the lyrics telling a story of Mair trying to forget a lover, but seeing his picture wherever she goes. (...)

A quieter, more tender moment appears in the ballad ‘Skinnarviksberget’ (a hill above Stockholm, and a fine place to hang out in the summer months), the song showing off Mair’s voice and piano playing. It’s also something she can directly relate to, being a track about the innocence of youth.

The second half of the record is something of a minor disappointment in that it doesn’t continue the strong start, (...)

(thelineofbestfit.com)

Amanda Mair - Doubt by Labrador Records

Amanda Mair "Sense" by Labrador Records