In her more meditative moments, the folky Swedish singer/songwriter Anna Ternheim seems to conjure up the shadow of fellow Swede Sophie Zelmani; at other times, her poignant, urgent, piano-driven songs nod to artists like Coldplay and, to a certain extent, Dido. It was probably thanks to this well-read sound, not to mention the fact that she recorded her songs in English, that Ternheim went on to earn critical acclaim on an international scale following the release of her sophomore LP. Ternheim's first recordings, a couple of EPs released on Only Records, emerged in 2003. She wasn't destined to languish in obscurity for long, though. Ternheim was picked up by Stockholm Records soon after that, and the label went on to release what would prove to be Ternheim's breakthrough album, Somebody Outside, the following year. Somebody Outside went on to be nominated for numerous Swedish Grammy awards, including Best Newcomer, which Ternheim won. She signed a deal with Universal soon after that, and her sophomore album, Separation Road, was released in 2006. Seperation Road's follow-up Halfway to Fivepoints was released earlier this year. - allmusic.com

Leaving on a Mayday
Verve Forcast
8.11.2009

 

Halfway to Fivepoints
Decca
4.22.2008

 

The musical equivalent of pealing the accentuated flesh away from the fundamental bone that lay beneath, this devastatingly simple performance from Swedish singer/songwriter Anna Ternheim reveals the true art behind going it alone. These are not the tightly engineered tracks of excellent new disc Halfway to Fivepoints (Decca). This is a performance of a much more poignant nature. Acoustic guitar, piano, and voice are all Anna needs to craft haunting, human stories that unfold at a slow and elegant pace. Her approach might be humble. But the sentiment and emotion behind the everyday characters that inhabit her songs are not. - David Pitz

www.annaternheim.com