Fan favorite live performances reimagined in the studio.

It’s difficult to assign just one genre to Fever Ray, especially with the new album, Year of the Radical Romantics. Synths, dance and voices linger and build in this collection of songs. Even when there was only two singles out from the album, it was already clear: this project isn’t playing by any rules, and it’s all the more thrilling for it. Fever Ray is the solo project of Karin Dreijer, known for their haunting vocals, genre-defying soundscapes and deeply immersive storytelling.

Blending electronic, pop and experimental elements, Ray creates music that’s as emotionally raw as it is sonically adventurous. Beyond the music, Ray’s work is renowned for its striking visuals and rich, theatrical narratives that challenge conventional boundaries of identity and performance.

The Year of The Radical Romantics captures the vibrant energy of Fever Ray’s ’23 Radical Romantics Tour, featuring live versions of tracks from that album alongside highlights from Plunge (’17) and reimagined early classics. According to Fever Ray’s official website, the album is “a document of the juicy, throbbing missives” performed on the globe-trotting There’s No Place I’d Rather Be Tour. The record also showcases the musicians who accompanied Ray on stage, adding new layers to the sound.

The album and accompanying videos continue the vivid storytelling established in Radical Romantics, following a cast of characters through surreal group therapy sessions led by the enigmatic Ebba. These sessions provide a backdrop for fiery new versions of fan favorites from Ray’s ’09 debut, bringing this creative era to a dramatic close.

We begin the album with “I’m Not Done” – quirky, eccentric and upbeat, swarming with energy and anticipation. The layering of vocals and instrumentals gradually builds up, mixes and blends together, creating a high of utterly and completely danceable moments. This track, as well as the next track on the album, “Now’s the Only Time I Know,” transports the listener to scenes surrounded by neon lights and humid air, out of breath and in the moment.

The album concludes with “If I Had a Heart,” an eerie yet ethereal soundscape that begins with a pulsing rhythm, soon enveloped by deep, incantation-like vocals. The striking contrasts in genre and style throughout the album represent experimental genre at its core, pushing boundaries by exploring unconventional sounds and structures to create truly original and immersive music.