“Maybe we are young, but that doesn’t make us last long!” Swedish chanteuse Jenny Wilson’s debutante solo release leaves footprints on your psyche. Repressed, sugar-coated memories reappear for evaluation. Exploring the awkward years between childhood and adulthood, Wilson’s enchanting Swinglish vocals are accompanied by harp, glockenspiel, vibraphone, whistling and anything within reach. Think a more accessible Bjork.

Delicate guitar strumming, enchanting harp trills and ethereal incantations lure us into opening track ‘Crazy Summer’. At first shining upon us as the sun melts all traces of snow, tormented tales of gawky teenage-dom seep through ‘Summer Time – The Roughest Time’. The climate changes with jaunty offering ‘Let My Shoes Lead Me Forward.’ Pedestrian lyrics sparkle from the quirky soundscape. This is the closest we get to a bop. “It’s OK, hey come on, no time for education, so let’s go!” A mantra for this generation of schoolkids to rival Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick In The Wall.’

The onset of winter blows in pared back arrangement ‘Those Winters.’ Wilson’s anecdotal vocals encapsulate pathos. “From time to time it’s better to be beaten up in the backyard when the sun sets, with a pink sky above”. Nina Simone, Missy Elliott and Laurie Anderson are all listed as artists Wilson confesses to stealing ideas from. Live drums complement programmed beats; her mastery of the guitar, both acoustic and electric, is breathtaking. An obsession with P.J Harvey’s ‘Rid Of Me’ aged twenty fed Wilson’s desire to be inducted into the music biz. She formed four-piece outfit First Floor Power in 1997 which went on to release two albums, ‘There Is Hope’ (2001) and ‘Nerves’ (2003).

Writing, performing, recording and producing ‘Love and Youth’ free Wilson from the shackles of compromise inherent within the structure of a band. This autonomous approach allows her to bare her soul. Poptastic, upbeat electronic foundations and lilting melodies disguise an undercurrent of anguish. A sense of humour assists in softening the blow, “Have you ever red (sic) the newspapers, baby..? You know, you can wipe your ass with ‘em, or stuff your shoes or make a roof” Her offering is as multi-faceted as a snowflake. Engaging the young and young at heart, her portrayal of “Love and Youth” has universal appeal.

The perfect soundtrack to thaw out the harshest Scandinavian winter, I prescribe this ideal alternative to light therapy for sufferers of Seasonally Affected Disorder.