aaamusic | On 09, Apr 2012

Amanda Mair is a Swedish musician who grew up living with her parents who ran a bakery. She certainly has a voice to fit the part of a young baker’s daughter: sweet and charming. She released her debut single, House, when she was only 16 and at the age of 17 she has just released her debut self-titled album, Amanda Mair, which became available on the 15th of February, as well as two other singles to accompany House: Doubt and Sense. All three singles can be found on the debut album.

There’s a wonderful simplicity in the way Sense is crafted as a single. It’s exactly how a single should be: simple, well-written and catchy. There is nothing experimental or ‘out there’ about Mair’s work, it is what it is: melodic and polished pop. It’s definitely a style which has been seen before and will doubtless be seen again but it is incredibly charming. School-girl handclaps meet candyfloss synth meet Mair’s soft and sweet vocals.

Sweden is well-known for producing excellent pop music, ABBA and the Cardigans being just two examples. You can hear small influences of both bands in Mair’s work. Mair has been compared to Kate Bush in the past, although I can’t quite see any resemblance myself. Amanda Mair’s Sense is more naïve and innocent; it’s sweet and cloudy teenage synth-pop at its best.

★★★★★

Rose Benge