Lisa o Piu

Lisa Isaksson's bio says she grew up in the countryside around Stockholm, spending her free time doing sketches in horse stables. This idyllic portrait is easy to grasp from the first notes of this debut album, recorded with her backing band of school friends: Piu. From a foundation of subtle, finger picked guitar and wispy vocals comes a haunting sound that alternates between pure Ladies Of The Canyon-era Joni Mitchell and the full-blown mysticism of Loreena McKennitt. Isaksson also has a good command of English, as songs like "Traitor" and "The Party" possess more depth than what might be expected from contemporary hippie troubadours, Swedish or not. While often When This Was The Future wavers a bit too close to new age territory, Isaksson still displays a remarkable amount of confidence in her approach. Recommended for fans of Vashti Bunyan and Joanna Newsom.