Ida Maria
She likes you so much better when you're naked
Albums
Fortress Round My Heart (2008)
7/10
Producer: ?
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Oh My God
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Drive Away My Heart
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Louie
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I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked
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Keep Me Warm
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Forgive Me
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Stella
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Morning Light
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Queen Of the World
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See Me Through
Norwegian born Ida Maria is best described as a mix of Bjork and Patti Smith, but perhaps lacking the artistic vision of both of those musicians as of yet. Please do not think that I am putting down her achievements, as I find this debut rather fine if the mood is right.
And how is the mood striking me now? Very well I will have you know…
The first time I saw Maria was on Jools Holland performing some of the songs from this Fortress Round My Heart set. Just as good as it was live, opening song Oh My God is a fantastic way to kick off the album. As much of the material on this LP it has a punk-light sound to it, while paying its dues to the indie rock which it is so heavily indebted to. The lyrics aren’t anything special but the repeated verses and explosive guitars are invigorating. Maria questions, “Is this fun for you?” Well, yes actually.
Drive Away My Heart is really lovely and expresses well how it feels to be blindly in love. Maria confesses, “You can treat me like you please, baby it’s ok with me.” Maria’s band sound really motivated to take the song to another plateau in terms of quality and it is only fair to state that they are victorious in doing so. Louie is pop perfection and it kind of sums up what Ida Maria’s music should be – pop shorts brimming with life and a real appetite for making it an enjoyable listen. The boisterous piano work is vital to the songs structure and along with the guitars it makes for a pleasurable listen.
There are a few quieter moments on the album and as a general rule these are the moments which do not work quite so well, the exception being Keep Me Warm, which I like very much. Maria’s vocals crack and break in all her confessional glory as she yet again pens a song about lost love. There is real compassion in her vocals, as she intones the insecure lyrics.
One of the worst songs from the set is In The Morning Light, which comes across as a below par Kings of Leon denunciation against one night stands. OK, there isn’t anything truly terrible about it but it perhaps lacks some of the character which carried some of the earlier songs.
One of the best songs towards the end of the set is Queen of the World. It’s a really saddening piece of work and it possesses an awesome melody shot through with superior vocal hooks. It’s probably my favourite track from the album and it is everything I want from this genre of music. Together with See Me Through, it is a charming way to close an often entertaining album, which may have little in the way of surprises but which has a lot of spirit and zest.
I have found it hard to locate any major flaws within Fortress Round My Heart, so I can only come to the conclusion that this is because there isn’t any. For an album which is a little over 30 minutes long, it is consistently fun, dynamic to the absolute peak of its abilities and it really makes me think that in the coming years Ida Maria is going to be one to watch.
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Ida Maria
