BERTINE ZETLITZ SWEET INJECTIONS ALBUM EMI RELEASE: APRIL 28, 2003 REVIEW: JUNE 15, 2003

Norway again, eh? I'm afraid so. Bertine Zetlitz has that typically Scandinavian fragility look to go along with some truly beautiful music. New to me, but apparently with a small back catalogue, Bertine has really made a name for herself with "Sweet Injections". So far, so good, then.
As always though, like the daft critic I am, I have to utter some negativity, albeit briefly. Some pieces of the album puzzle play a tad too much with the singer/songwriter vein for my personal taste, but the overall song material is strong enough to survive such an attack. The sound on "Sweet Injections" has its primary foundation in playful electronics and Bertine's tender, low-key voice. Think Björk meets Bel Canto meets Delerium in their most commercial songs. Zetlitz has a tendency to drift off occasionally, though, into ambient pop fluff, while at her best she has me utterly and totally enchanted. With a couple more edgy tracks and a more distinct voice, this would have won me over totally. Still, hats off to Bertine for writing all the song herself and a deep bow for the eerily funny lyrics.

NIKLAS FORSBERG