Made by People in Trouble

Susanne Sundfør’s latest album, Music for People in Trouble, is perfectly described by its title. Trekking through these ten songs will undoubtedly lead to some sad thoughts, but that’s okay. These songs accept that sadness is a part of a life, and it’s only natural to feel that way at times.

The sweetness of Sundfør’s voice makes a song lasting only four minutes seem twice as long. Her guitar and piano-rich instrumentation create an amazing ocean of sound that’s wonderful, yet melancholy. A variety of emotions make an appearance on this project, while all staying within the same theme/aesthetic.

The opener, “Mantra” sounds like a lullaby, showcasing the motherly-sweetness of Sundfør’s voice. It brings to mind a pensive person sitting alone in a bedroom after a long, sub-par day, looking at the floor for answers. But to the child being sung to sleep, all that matters is the pretty tune.

“Good Luck Bad Luck” and “Mountaineers” both have echoes of religious music due to the melodic similarities, as well as the specific vocal recording resembling church acoustics. The former tune features a saxophone solo to transition out of abruptly ending vocals, all while floating atop the first of piano-centric backgrounds as opposed to guitar.

The second number, “Reincarnation,” benefits from a tasteful beachy guitar part, which, coupled with Sundfor’s voice and chord progressions, makes for surprisingly cinematic music. Three scenes, in particular, come to mind: the nighttime beach scene in the Oscar-winning “Moonlight,” the Sarah McLachlan-accompanied memory from “Toy Story 2” and the episode endings used/seen throughout the TV series “How I Met Your Mother;” but be not restricted by these mental pictures.

Another picturesque track is “The Sound of War,” which trickles down the spine with its babbling brook opening and is right at home with a war-torn Katniss Everdeen walking through the woods to clear her mind. Other than this, it’s not quite as good as the previously mentioned tracks.

Some of the best lyrics on the album lie in “Undercover” and throughout “Bedtime Story,” particularly in the former when Sundfør sings “Don’t trust the ones who love you.” Her cutting, melancholy lyrics are the perfect partner in crime with the equally somber melodies and instrumentations. Frankly, the album is so entirely good and consistent that it makes favorite-picking both difficult and not important.

The title track and “Reincarnation” in particular both do a splendid job of making a regular-length song (three and four minutes, respectively) feel twice as long, which is a measure of how encapsulating and blanketing Sundfør’s music is.

Whether or not there’s trouble afoot, this album is worth listening to, although it may be something to save for a rainy day.