J.P NYSTRÖMS – Låtar i Norrbotten (Manifest, 1979)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: *

Formed way up in the Swedish north in small Malmberget (current population of around 6,000), a part of municipality Gällivare, J.P. Nyströms took their name from a prominent 19th century harmonium builder. Harmonium was indeed part of their gear along with fiddle and the diatonic button accordion. Much like Norrlåtar, J.P. Nyströms repertoire consisted of tunes from the Norrbotten region, and they are a bit like a poor man's Norrlåtar, with a lighter touch and a softer edge. The dance tunes and songs are mostly upbeat, and if you're not well versed in the deep traditions, a lot of it come off as pretty lightweight (especially when compared to Norrlåtar). Perhaps that's why the slower, more melancholy ”Villiruusu (Vildrosen)”, ”Rimppa” and ”Matalan torpan balladi (Det låga torpets ballad)” stand out, breaking the otherwise rather samey flow.

This was J.P. Nyström's first album, and they have infrequently released a few more over the years. They're still active to this day.

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