We understand that everyone gets prickly when their friends are criticised – which is only right and proper – but our advice is well-intentioned. Put simply, Ida Maria needs to get herself a new gang. The bad influences her mother might have warned her about are not the problem; rather, it’s the apparent yawning chasms of difference in terms of spirit, expression, verve, soul and imagination between the 23-year-old Norwegian singer-songwriter (now based in Stockholm) and her band. It’s the Catatonia effect, whereby the singer fizzes, pops and shines, while the blokes behind her plod, grumble and break musical wind. Maria sounds like a Kim Deal/Björk/Cerys Matthews hybrid; her cohorts suggest an amalgam of various mid-’90s, indie no-marks with Pixies aspirations. And we say this as confirmed fans and supporters of Maria, who blew us away when she played an On The Up show for us last year.
Ida Maria describes the likes of debut single, ‘Oh My God’, ‘Queen of the World’ and ‘I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked’ as ‘stories about me, my friends, fucked-up relationships, sleeping on couches, running out of friends, drunk nights, high flights and about “Stella”, of course.’ These three-minute, punk-pop songs are strong enough to enable her to operate without a safety net. She’s done it before, having once toured Europe solo, so could easily do it on record. We understand that hiring your mates maximises the fun potential (Maria likes to party), but searching out the best musicians to add to your perky yet expressively poignant tunes might have been a better move. We’d recommend the solo-career option.
