AS IN REBEKKAMARIA QUEEN OF FRANCE ALBUM ROXY RELEASE: OCTOBER 29, 2008 REVIEW: SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

RebekkaMaria Andersson is the front person to “As In RebekkaMaria” (somewhat unsurprisingly). She also happens to be the lead singer of the Danish/Swedish noisepop band Lampshade. She has already played at a host of European festivals – including Roskilde, and played alongside !!! among others.

There is no doubt there is some sort of star quality swirling around this artist. She looks like a natural diva, but is there substance behind the style? In a totally saturated genre, is there really room for another quirky, electro-backed pop star? I have my doubts, but as always remain optimistic...

Sometimes albums ease you in gently, before bringing on the big tracks. Not “Queen of France”. “Yours Truly” opens with a flourish, highlighting the electropop to follow, accompanied by the slightly cartoonish vocals of the protagonist. This is definitely a feature of this album that can't be ignored; RebekkaMaria really does have an extraordinary voice. Sometimes it works exceptionally well. “Soul to my Soul”, with its stuttered beats, electro throbbing bass and slightly industrial crashes creates a perfectly unreal world for that unreal voice. “Army of Foxy” is an exceptional track, to the point which I can't believe it hasn't been released as a single ahead of “Part of the Game” or “She Lion”. When the music doesn't quite hit, ie in the slightly demo-ish “Happy Birthday”, things do get slightly awkward and jarring, the vocals rubbing against the music in a sandpaper on wood kind of way.

A good album, quirky in parts, not enough in others (some take too long to get going before delivering the goods; “Alabee” in particular). The album is just the right length too, a fairly svelt 40-minuter making it not in danger of outstaying its welcome. For this particular singer the quirkier the track the better in my opinion. With the right backing there is enough potential to even give an artist like Björk a run for her money. Not to say that RebekkaMaria is a Björk copier – and “Queen of France” is certainly no “Debut”, merely this artist is so unique she could place herself in a similarly unique position as the aforementioned artiste. Definitely one to look out for in the future then.

MIKE WHYTE