I Din Röst

by John Lucas Comparing the soft focus, heavily airbrushed cover of I Din Röst to the gaudy, disco-influenced artwork of 2004 effort Gone Too Long, it is clear that the 32 year old Charlotte Perrelli is veering on the side of maturity for her first Swedish language release. Indeed, I Din Röst is not a traditional pop record at all, instead it is a tribute to the recently deceased Swedish jazz artist Monica Zetterlund. A professedly huge fan of the much-loved Zetterlund, Perrelli covers a selection of the older artists considerable body of work, in addition to co-writing a touching tribute in the form of the album's title track. Perrelli is not a jazz singer, but she does have a long background fronting touring bands, and some of her previous pop records have tended to obscure her considerable vocal talents. Her abilities are brought to the fore here, and she contributes faithful covers of classics such as Trubbel and När Min Vän. She acquits herself well, bringing smoldering sensuality to the likes of Mister Kelly. The only problem is that she isn't Monica Zetterlund. The success of a great jazz vocalist is all about distinctive qualities such as tone and phrasing, and while Perrelli is more than capable of handling this material, it's difficult to see who it is designed to appeal to. Her pop fanbase are likely to be disappointed by the generally subdued tone of the record, and Jazz aficionado's will yearn for Zetterlund's original readings. A pleasant curiosity, but only really for hardcore Perrelli fans.