At her melodic best, Molly Nilsson poses a recurring question of just how good (BIG) she could be with access to Sia’s studio, or if she was happy to let major label artists sing her songs. From her adopted home of Berlin, if the Swedish musician has reinterpreted pop music it’s by de-cluttering it of contrived image and big budget campaign-trail tricks, either by design or necessity of making everything in her bedroom.
Pop has never been all about the music but in Nilsson’s fiercely DIY hands it gets pretty close, especially here on ‘Let’s Talk About Privileges’ – Nilsson in ‘Immaculate Collection’ mode, if Madonna had sung ‘Crazy For You’ with detached resignation and a slight cold tremble in her voice; Nilsson’s calling card over her previous seven albums.
Calypso and tango rhythms still propel most of the processed saxophones and Coldplay-on-a-shoestring bells (‘Memory Foam’), while anti-greed anthem ‘Money Never Dreams’ goes for something more overtly ’80s and sparkly for the first time. It’s still a small toolbox for Molly Nilsson, but she does a hell of a lot with it.
