Philharmonics
Album | Agnes Obel
European art-popster's enchanting debut.
Copenhagen-born, Berlin-based pianist and singer Agnes Obel made a big splash throughout Europe in 2010 with the release of her debut album Philharmonics, finally released in the U.S. in April 2011. Tracing her roots to Claude Debussy and Erik Satie is easy enough: the placid piano instrumentals "Falling, Catching" and "Wallflower" place her in the art-pop continuum alongside the likes of Virginia Astley and Harold Budd. But Obel also claims inspiration from both Roy Orbison and Portishead, and that widescreen sense of drama and atmosphere permeates Philharmonics: the minimalist piano-driven arrangements never feel sparse or empty. And crucially, Obel writes solid melodies and mature, heartfelt lyrics that keep the album from being as coolly cerebral as it might be. There's no reason why the coffeehouse singer-songwriter crowd that's embraced the likes of Keren Ann or PJ Harvey wouldn't latch onto memorable tunes like "Riverside" or "Just So." The gorgeous cover of John Cale's "Close Watch" seals the deal: Agnes Obel is a talent to keep an eye on.
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