Swedish vocals
International relevance: *
Ranked #25 on the blog's Top 25 list
Kjell Höglund is one of the most
problematic progg blog inclusions. He's a wonderful artist with a
knack for low-key yet intricate and sometimes plaintive lyrics. His
searching attitude towards politics, philosophy, relations and spirituality
makes him a unique voice in Swedish music, not just progg. Höglund
always leaves an entrance open to the listeners, inviting them to
step inside his songs and way of thinking. Doubt and choice aren't
weaknesses in the mind and world of Höglund, why his music is so
much more thought-provoking and, paradoxically enough, more
reassuring than many of his cocksure and dogmatic contemporaries
proclaiming megaphone politics. With that crucial dimension lost,
what qualities are left to grasp for someone unfamiliar with the
Swedish language?
Probably only yet another Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan inspired
singer/songwriter (Höglund namechecks Dylan in a couple of songs,
including the beautiful flute laced ”Skräckhus i Sussex” on ”Häxprocess”) with a
rather thin voice not always hitting the notes right on target. Most
of the tracks on ”Häxprocess” are acoustic and delicate, but the
jam infused ”Falu koppargruva” and the title track see Höglund
fronting a full band. The track ”Häxprocess” (”witch trial”)
is Höglund's tour de force, originally a much shorter song that soon
grew into a 15 minute indictment against self-loathing, bigotry,
double moral standards and political duplicity. Although far more
overtly phrased, it's the only true contender for a Swedish
equivalent to Dylan's ”Desolation Row”, if only for its majestic
length and scope.
”Häxprocess” was Höglund's third
and in my opinion best album, homemade just like his previous
ones and sold to passers-by on the street, years before private
pressings became a DIY standard of punk. (Höglund wasn't the first
to release his albums without much support from others though; free
jazz pioneer Bengt ”Frippe” Nordström did so already in the
early 60's, and there are probably more examples of similarly auteur
styled musicians.) In many ways, Höglund embodied the true spirit of
progg while never quite becoming part of the movement, always
operating out on the side as the genuine freethinker he was. That
said, he scored a couple of surprise hits in the 80's, later
undertaking package tours with younger singer/songwriters to whom he
was a source inspiration. But he never lost his sense of originality.
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