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Ida Maria Børli Sivertsen is the new shining light of Norwegian music and with good reason. She is a shimmering punk-rock pop songstress who can simultaneously pour her heart out to you whilst kicking you up the arse with some sharp witted lyrics. ‘Fortress Round My Heart’ her debut album is an exciting mix of chewing gum pop, blunt statements and heart-felt confessions in equal measure.
By now you should have heard Ida screaming “Oh my god!” over your nearest radio and if you haven’t where have you been? The opening track is a short, to-the-point rant over 3 minutes of instantly memorable guitars – if you don’t find yourself repeating “Oh my god” all day then maybe you should just throw that radio out.
‘Stella’ and ‘Louie’ follow a similar but no less enjoyable route. Ida’s simple yet amusing lyrics keep the pop theme perfectly: “Loui-eee, I know I’m always drunk, as drunk as can be.” Indeed as the album progresses it becomes more and more of a party record. ‘I like you so much better when you’re naked’ pokes fun at casual sex and features the albums best (and funniest) vocals. “What the hell did I do that for? You’re just another guy. OK you’re kind of sexy but you’re not really special. If you take me home, come on take me home.” Eventually she throws away any subtlety left and bluntly tells us “I like you so much better when you’re naked, I like me so much better when you’re naked.”
The best bit about Ida is that just when you think you’ve got her sussed she blows away the perceptions of the first nine songs and polishes the album off with three heart-felt tracks where she slows down the instruments and pours her heart out. ‘Keep me warm’, ‘In the end’ and ‘We’re all going to hell’ in many ways see the real Ida Maria Børli Sivertsen coming through. The highlight is the acoustic ‘In the end’ which makes you feel like you’re listening to a musician bearing her heart for her music.
‘Fortress Around My Heart’ is a bold, confident and powerful work without the slightest hint of arrogance. Ida Maria contrasts addictive pop fiction with gut wrenching facts of life and for that she should be applauded.
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