TRACKLISTING

Inga Liljeström : Black Crow Jane

01	The Rain And The Sea
02	Dogs And Wolves
03	Bittersweet
04	Drowning Song
05	Mascara Black
06	His Thieving Ways
07	Wishing Bone Hands
08	Bloodstain
09	Lovers Gun
10	Rama
11	Wildest Horse

click on above image to hear an on-line stream of the album

What the Reviewers Are Saying
about Black Crow Jane

"Something truly happens when beautiful voices
of the north attack folk music. Like Frida Hyvonen before her, Inga Liljestrom masters a sense of space and ambience, treacherously calm. The ettiquette is strange, with a distant legacy of Kate Bush on Black Crow Jane, alternating between perfect nursery rhymes for adults and unnerving rock epics. [She]... has appropriated some American heritage, but it is barely recognisable here, under an assault of fire and ice. A small marvel of poetry who caresses as much as she cuts."
[Journal Ventilo, France]

"This is the album you have been waiting for.
You, that is, who have seen Inga Liljestrom live, who have listened to her first two albums, and who have waited for six years for album number three to materialise. While 2005′s ELK garnered much deserved acclaim, there remained a feeling that Liljestrom was a work in progress, that there was better to come, and with Black Crow Jane she has delivered. In the intervening years Liljestrom has moved to France (given her European cinematic inclinations that comes as no surprise) and given birth, not that there is much indication of the later material wise. Indeed motherhood has not diminished her sexuality in any way: “So I rode my wildest horse…I let him feel the weight of me”. Musically the scope has broadened, beyond the obvious and more occasional Bjork moments – Drowning Song – there is a tougher more blues based approach, with PJ Harvey an obvious touch stone, particularly on Mascara Black. The albums opening track The Rain and the Sea is a standout, its hushed beginnings blossoming and expanding into dirty blues roots number that sweeps itself overboard. Black Crow Jane is the fully realised album Liljestrom has promised, her voice not only both emotive and evocative as before, but now confident and assured."
[Chris Peken, Alternative Media Group/CityHub/CityNews]

8.5/10 "...extraordinary ... A true discovery!"
[Core And Co, France full review]

Occassional Sydneysider Inga Liljestrom
seems to fit into the art-rock branch of things, with an ornate cover image, idiosyncratic instrumentation and a singing style that can be arch and sometimes bordering on dark cabaret. But she's earthier than that, with both a stubborn pop subtext to her songs and a stiffened spine of dangerous rock. Those sides balance spookier excursions, such as Rama and the Rain and The Sea, where Liljestrom cuts sharply.
[Bernard Zuel, Spectrum, Sydney Morning Herald]

"With a delivery that recalls Joanna Newsom
and PJ Harvey, and a quixotic approach that matches her obvious Scandinavian antecendants, Inga Liljestrom continues to weave mystery and melody into intriguing pop on her latest French-recorded album, Black Crow Jane."
[Drum Media]

"...Inga is undoubtedly one of those rare artists
with an assertive personality – even if comparisons with PJ Harvey and Bjork are as common as they are. Instead, let’s put her in the same family as Shannon Wright for her rougher, more personal but equally effective style. Initially intrigued by the beautiful sleeve, we soon delighted to discover that she hid many pearls of sombre and haunting rock. The album starts with The Rain & the Sea, a number with tortured guitars and a biting lament that reveals a dark world accompanying the slightly hoarse (just enough!) voice of Inga Liljeström. But this kind of rock, as tribal as a kind of Patti Smith, is only one of the album’s many attributes. Although she maintains this basis, she also injects some soulful elements (Dogs & Wolves) as well as some cheerful pop (Bittersweet) and experimentation which links her more directly with the Bjork comparisons, such as on Drowning Song, which is endearing due to the music as much as the delivery. But as we have stated, Inga Liljeström is first and foremost a rocker, showing her taste for rough guitar sounds, such as on Bloodstain, a song which is not too far from the unrivalled sounds of Anna Calvi. And then there’s the blues of Mascara Black, with the amps pushed to the depths, or the acoustic Gun Lovers and Roots, with its use of slide guitar. It’s useless to say more, now you understand from where Inga Liljeström evolved. We have just discovered her but you will spend a good few years following her career and future albums, which will not pass you by this time." 8/10
[Stars Are Underground, France]

"The album title gives a bit of a hint,
with its subtle connotations of the south of the U.S.. But pressing play on first track, ‘The Rain And The Sea’, gives the game away. Inga Liljeström is finding inspiration from more traditional American and blues roots these days, rather than the European atmospherics she has been known for in the past. Of course, it’s blues filtered through her own unique prism and the work of decidedly European artists such as PJ Harvey and antipodean strands such as Crow or Bluebottle Kiss. The opening track builds up a genuine excitement as its dry as bones guitars and drums rattle under Liljeström’s always distinctive vocals. It’s an impressive and unexpected opening gambit. From here, the album maintains the high standard. ‘Dogs and Wolves’ hints at a bit more of the atmospherics I’d normally associate with Liljeström’s work. A dusty synth wash sets up a track full of pure abstract guitar fuzz, pizzicato string bass and the voice narrowed to the type of mid-range favoured by Beth Gibbons that allows it to cut through the noise. ‘Drowning Song’ is one of the few overt Björk referencing tracks on the album, Liljeström backing herself with solo toy piano and field recordings of moving water while her vocals emulate the meandering/melodic wanderings favoured by Björk. (As a side note, the album’s artwork also echoes the Icelander with its enigmatic portrait, abstract headpiece and overlaid line drawings.) Any criticisms of Liljeström merely aping her idol, however, are quickly blasted away by the dirty guitar of the following ‘Mascara Black’ which contrasts its desperate verse segments with lush orchestral chorus interludes. Moody electronics raise their head in the midst of ‘His Thieving Ways” acoustic jazz-pop backing which rise to a menacing crescendo. ‘Bloodstain’ is the most overtly blues-rock track on the album, but the sheer dryness and passion of its execution keep it away from decades of cliché, even reminding me a little of Plastic Ono Band era John Lennon. The album closes with another minimal track, Liljeström backing herself with simple ukelele on ‘Wildest Horse’. This allows her voice, which is remarkable throughout the album, space to really demonstrate its strengths – evocative and emotional yet never crossing the line into histrionics.
Lyrically there are hints at quiet desperation tempered by a sense of peaceful resolution. Interesting twists of phrase jump out, like ‘Wishing Bone Hands” “And I carry his heart in my song” or “With our hearts in our mouths / Too dry to bleed” from ‘The Rain And The Sea’. Liljeström also dips into the strong blues heritage of religious imagery, pushing it into more ambiguous and poetic corners. ‘Mascara Black’ evokes Mary Magdalene and unrequited love while, later in the album, the definitions of love seem to diversify and resolve in reverse double entendres, where sexual imagery (“I rode my wildest horse…Let him feel the weight of me”, “I’ll make my fire with you…As you make a lover of me, you do”) actually sounds more platonic or even agape within the contexts of their respective songs. Liljeström has pushed herself with Black Crow Jane. Pushed herself into new sonic territory, even though she had a case to stay within the parameters of the sounds she had successfully inhabited in her first two albums. Pushed herself in the depths of lyrical explorations. Pushed herself to not repeat but grow and develop. That Black Jane Crow is far more than an experiment but a polished, rounded and complete work, is a testament to her skill and vision."
[Adrian Elmer, Cyclic Defrost, Australia]

"A strange, young Australian artist with Finish origins,
this young woman is capable of moving between child-like ballads and more brutal rock. Her studies in jazz improvisation are apparent in her fondness for exploration. Somewhere between Bjork and PJ Harvey, her hoarse voice often manages to soothe. Worth checking out.
[Frédéric Péguillan, Télérama Magazine, France]

"June is the first, official month of winter in Australia,
but it’s been damn cold at night for quite a number of weeks. While I’m not yet at the stage where I need to re-think my negative position on the snuggie. hearing about the release of a new album by Inga Liljeström was welcome news indeed – I’ll take her smouldering ember-like voice to warm my nights over a blanket with sleeves any time. I’m sure everyone has felt that mix of excitement and reserve when a favoured artist releases something new, particularly when – after three years of keeping record – one of their previous albums remains the most played of my entire collection. Elk is a breathlessly good album, pretty much perfectly capturing in sound the fire and ice sensation of love, desire, intimacy and everything in between. By comparison, it’s fair to say that Black Crow Jane is a little older, wiser and more incisive than any of its predecessors. It’s also more resolved, even if at times the subject matter is slightly less so, and perhaps surprisingly, it doesn’t have the slightest hint of becoming jaded in the process. Love is still sacred in this world; and if Elk was about moments that sear the heart, Black Crow Jane shows that those experiences can make if fierce, but don’t stop it from having the capacity to remain quietly and beautifully vulnerable at times. Jazz and blues were always a noticable undercurrent to Inga’s unique, film noir blend of trip-hop, rock and folk; whereas before they highlighted moments of yearning, mourning and wonder, on this album it’s soulful, sultry and sharply seductive. The sheer and intimate nature of previous work made albums like Elk incredibly bold, despite their vulnerability. This album is no less intimate or bold, but there’s a definite shift in where and how such things are shown. This time around, sound-wise, the comparisons to both Björk and PJ Harvey (which is not uncommon when it comes to talking about any strong female artist, particularly if their work contains the slightest hint of electronica and/or rock) are not far off the mark; Black Crow Jane has elements akin to the brash, bluesy-rock honesty of Harvey, as well as the playful, curious and occasionally delicately blissful charm of Björk, but (of course) is unmistakably Inga Liljeström.
[Satellite Of Entropy blog]

DISCOLAB [in French]

.E VOUS [in French]

Ma-la-Music [in French]

WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID ABOUT
INGA IN THE PAST:

"Australia's best-kept secret"
[Marty Wilson-Piper, The Church]

"With a breathy, soulful voice
that shivers with its emotive delivery, Inga Liljestrom is a world-class talent. Her debut album, Elk, is startlingly original, a subtle mix of beats and vocal electro, excuted with the sort of daring panache one would expect from a trained jazz musician. ...Her... music is compositionally progressive yet loyal to traditional instruentation, the subtle beats meshing with delicate strings and horns to create a lush sound that flies in the face of the minimalist obsession."
[Zolton Zavos, Yen Magazine]

"... dry as the breaking of insect wings ..."
[Peter Miller Sound Designer of The Ring and The Final Cut]

"... [her] lilting voice is both as playful as Björk's and bewitching as Nico's... "
[Luke McIlVern, Daily Telegraph]

"... moody... swoonish...
echoes of Dead Can Dance and Marianne Faithfull..."
[Lesley Sly, Panorama Inflight Mag/Rolling Stone]

"...a f##ked up, extremely original and dazzling piece
of music that outshines the latest offerings from Bristol".
[ Pete Rivett-Carnac of Single Gun Theory]

"21st Century film-noir for the ears"
[Tim Ritchie, Radio National]

REVIEWS FOR ELK:

CD Of The Week - 4 Stars
With her sultry vocal delivery
set against a cinematic musical backdrop, Inga Liljestrom effortlessly takes jazz syncopations and marries them with the racier elements of pure electro to create what is one of the finest local releases of the year. Liljestrom's breathy tone is the catalyst to the expansive nature of Elk. It's lush and atmospheric, dripping with melancholy but never weighed down by its emotive delivery. The opening track 'Film Noir', is the standout - the layered production the perfect foil for Liljestrom's descriptive lyrics. But really the album is consistently good across all twelve tracks, suggesting that we have a new star within our midst."
[Zolton Zavos, The Brag Magazine]

"Brilliant composing, unbelievable string arrangements...
Inga's emotional voice shines on the new movie-like album Elk..."
[From Finland's Trip 404]

"...A beautifully layered atmospheric pop album....
She manges to balance her dark and emotive songwriting with an orchestral depth, with neither dominating the other... In a league of her own..." 5/5
[Hamish Ta-Mé, Crema Magazine]

"Australia's Inga Liljestrom
makes utterly gorgeous electronic music. The aptly titled opener Film Noir sees her lovely vocal competing for attention with some strings that resemble those on Bjork's Vespertine. Lira sees her singing to a trip hoppy backing. It sounds a lot like the aforementioned Icelandic star. The acoustic All of This adds a nice folky touch to the record. The bare accompaniment brings out the best in Liljestrom's voice. Diamond Horseshoe is like a torch song for the modern era with some flawless singing and a nice whistled bit. This record is fabulous and Inga Liljestrom deserves to be heard by many.
[Anna Maria Stjärnell, Collected Sounds USA]

"Sydney-based Inga beat London-based Goldfrapp
to this noir-shrouded matinee romanticism by several years, and so it is chronologically incorrect to compare her to the more well-known act. Earlier trailblazers were Marianne Faithfull with (more barbed, austere) Brecht forays, and Kate Bush with the darker side of her wuthering heights. The first two tracks are alluring, candlelit songs with the chorus quite clearly signposted, and so shouldn't end up in the too-hard basket at FM radio. At core, this is swathes of moonlit texture sometimes propelled by machine pulse drums and acoustic bass, rippled with thematic strings and chimed by slide guitar, over which Inga whispers, croons and intones lyrics that are a collision of ethereal and existential. Crushed roses and drawn velvet curtains melancholia, but in the worthy cause of risque passion. Just when you think it's a bit staged, a trifle mannered, and could she conjure this atmos in a stripped unplugged environment, she does just that. On the stark 'All Of This', with a sprinkling of acoustic guitar, and later on '29 Poisons' with picked jazzy guitar, and over shimmering tremolo guitar in the first verse of 'Bullet', an exquisite portrayal of unrequited yearn; and the closing track, 'Stolen', an eerie eclipse of sun-warmed strings over frozen emotions. A record that unravels slowly but is instantly inviting and intriguing, and should bring this singer a wider international audience."
[Lesley Sly, Sound & Image Magazine]

"Having a track record for sterling vocal
contributions on albums for groups and artists such as ENS, Friendly and Gerling, Inga Liljestrom has a lengthy resume and she refocuses her efforts on the creation of this solo recording. This refocusing has produced some powerful, emotive results... The dreamy qualities of 'Lira' for instance create a mightily seductive musical world with rich colour and texture. Equally 'Deer' featuring some gently floating loops and hypnotic harp work from Clare Cooper, evokes a strong sense of cinematic audio."
[Lawrence English, Time-Off Magazine]

"Sydney-based singer-songwriter Inga Liljestrom
wears her influence on her sleeve: " Imagine Bjork, Portishead, Lamb & Goldfrapp all bleeding from the same lips," proclaims the sticker on the cover of her CD, Elk. Inadvertent menstrual images to one side, this accurately sums up the music Liljestrom draws on and aspires to; Bjork's sudden divergences, Portishead's moodiness, Goldfrapp's vocal styling, and Lamb's jittery, broken beats. There's no doubt Liljestrom's ambition. Like Bjork at her genre-bending best, Liljestrom tries to unite disparate elements into something fresh and new. Swooping orchestral fragments are spliced to jagged beats, and soundtracky atmospherics are wedded to a witchy aesthetic. The results are mixed, but always interesting. Triple J listeners will have heard Liljestrom's first single, Phoenix, a rich, dramatic song. Cello, honeyed vocals, and odd Twilight Zone background effects create a layered, attention-grabbing four minutes. This is Liljestrom at her best, and it's tantalising.
... Vivid and inventive...
[Simon Williamson, Beat Magazine]

"Inga Liljestrom's ... release, Elk,
is about as far as possible from the sound of the Australian summer we're about to enter. Although Liljeström is a native, musically she is somewhere north of Norway. A fog of ominous strings swirls around fractured electronic beats, jazz-tempered double bass glides below like dark shapes under an ice floe and voices echo sonar-like from afar. On top of it all is one of the most arresting voices I've heard in a long time. Comparisons with Bjork are inevitable, but inadequate; Liljestrom's voice does recall her fragility and other-worldliness but is richer and more sensual - imagine Martina Topley-Bird fronting Portishead. The clue to the mood here is in the first song's title: Film Noir. There's a prevailing darkness in the songs, tempered by impressionistic lyrics of love and longing and the shaft of light from the single, Phoenix. The sound is lush and three-dimensional - musical cinema. Elk is un-Australian (in the best possible way), but one of the most exciting releases of the year."
[David Curry, The Canberra Times]

8/10
"From the first sigh of the violins that open this
mesmerizing album, you will be trapped and enchanted by Elk. Inga Liljeström attracts comparisons to Portishead, Björk, Lamb, Goldfrapp, Beth Orton; all are warranted. Her talent is immense. From the delicate, fragile and otherworldly poetry of her lyrics, to her ghostly, sensual voice, to the skillful and evocative arranging, Liljeström displays an imagination and inspiration that sees her take Elk to soaring heights and sultry depths. Phoenix is dazzling: cello and violins arcing over industrial sighs and breathy silences, all held together by Inga's astounding voice, gracefully reaching clear highs and husky lows. Your skin will quiver and your heart will rise with the soaring chorus: it is an incredibly beautiful song. Liljeström has worked with an array of musicians, combining an orchestral element with the wonders of electronic sounds. Stunningly mastered, Elk is as clear and crisp as a sharp wind through forest, without sacrificing any mystery or atmosphere. It is not surprising to learn Liljeström has worked as a cinema composer. Her songs have a rich visual element, and are extremely evocative. Liljeström has worked in the Australian music scene for many years: with Elk she is bound to receive the critical acclaim and public appreciation she richly deserves."
[Shannon, 3D World Magazine]

"You may not have heard of Australian
singer/composer/arranger Inga Liljestrom, but you have probably heard her vocals on Gerling's Dust Me Selecta. She has also worked with other Australian dance acts but when it comes to her own music, it couldn't be further away from that style. Welcome to Elk. Right from the sticker on the album cover you are advised of comparisons to Bjork, Portishead, Lamb and Goldfrapp and these are not unfounded, however, I also detect a kinship with Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan and Moloko (at least vocally). If this isn't enough, the record company press release suggests further musical benchmarks (Marianne Faithful, Dead Can Dance, David Lynch film scores) and although there are reminiscent elements at work here they are simply doorways in to her music which demonstrates vast talent and originality. The music on Elk consists of impressive and complex arrangements, rich with dark orchestral flourishes that suggest film composers such as Ennio Morricone, Angelo Badalamenti and Bernard Herrmann (it comes as little surprise to learn that Liljestrom is also a film composer). Although her style is cinematic and opulent it is also beautifully restrained. Orchestras swell and drop away completely, fragmented beats are mixed in as needed and as quickly torn out of the mix. She organically melds the orchestral elements with her less-is-more approach making for engaging listening. The complexities of the music are fascinating and deserve an instrumental companion album. It takes a while to warm to the breathy intensity of Liljestrom's voice yet it suits the delirious soundtrack perfectly. She cleverly balances the drama of tracks such as Phoenix (the first single) and Knotted (should be the second single) against minimal acoustic songs such as 29 Poisons and All Of This. Elk is an intriguing and impressive work that grows with every listen, Liljestrom a talent to watch.
[Wayne Davidson - Inpress Magazine]

Highly Recomended
"Elk is a sublime concoction of equal parts
atmosphere and musicality. Drenched in a narcotic otherworldliness, it's as much an interior journey to the deepest extremes of Inga's musical well - a sort of seductive one-on-one with an inspired mind - as it is an exploration of outdoorsy soundscapes, from widescreen cinematic title sequences, to broad sweeps of upland tundra. Through it all, for all its uber-modern beats and trip-hoppy motifs, there's a balancing earthiness, a handmade, almost folk-like simplicity that is completely satisfying. She creates sparse, restrained elegance and ecstatic climaxes with equal facility, often in juxtaposition and always dovetailing moods and sounds with savvy ease. Taken as a whole, the 12 songs are like weather stations in a sea of emotion, to chart a course thru shifting moods and dreamscapes. Elk is many-layered and simple at the same time, impressionistic resonances and overtones as important as the detail. That unique voice of Liljestrom is what brings it all together. Blessed with a fragile/strong feel that can whisper intimacies even when filling the soundscape with primal cries, it's a voice that focuses listeners and draws them in. Perhaps the company she keeps is a pointer to adequately describing Liljestrom's style. Lloyd Swanton and Cameron Undy play acoustic basses (indeed if Swanton's The Necks added vocals the result might feel something like parts of this album) and guitarists Tim Rollinson, and Michael Lira, co-arranger Haydn Walker and co-producer Liberty Kerr all represent a substantial musicalness missing on too many contemporary (read fashionable) albums. Sophisticated string arrangements by Inga and others (real strings, even a real harp, no synthesized doodlings here) add filigree touches, never clichéd or pompous. Solo guitar accompaniment contrasts with lush booming voicings. And on it goes, all of it good. That Elk is a (largely) self-penned debut is quite astounding. Liljestrom's been compared to the likes of Goldfrapp, Portishead and Bjork, but though these might be touchstones, they're only references. Inga Liljestrom has something sensual and artistic all her own. Highly recommended.
[Perry Kilmer, Drum Media Magazine]

4 Stars
"Inga Liljestrom's voice tickles angels' ears...
Whether it's flirting with string crescendos that bound over the subtlest electronic programming (Film Noir) or delivering haunted folk over lonely guitar (All Of This), her sultry voice of yesteryear is the mesmerising centerpiece. It slides from dark grooves to delicate whispers, turning simple poetry into the ultimate dark romantic soundtrack. From the subtle manipulation of Knotted to the delayed echoes of Lira, this jazz-trained Sydney singer raises gooseflesh."
[Chloe Sasson, Metro Sydney Morning Herald]


"...What a triumph! ...This... is just something else.
... A long player... of timeless beauty [that] proves Liljeström as a talent who could well stand proudly next to a Lou Rhodes or similarly 'difficult' (in the pop sense) chanteuse. The instrumentation on the album is phenomenal thanks to the likes of Cam 'The Chameleon' Undy and a host of others like Tim Rollinson, Sloth and Haydn Walker. Has anyone noticed how the phrase 'it's good for Australian' is now redundant?"
[DJ Huwston, 3D World Magazine]

CD Of The Week
"The debut album from Inga Liljestrom
is set to blow a lot of people away; dripping in emotion it is nothing short of magic. Liljestrom has a voice that is very rich in texture and that wouldn't seem out of place with Lou Rhodes or Beth Gibbons. Backed by an amazing band, the album shows the depth and maturity that well seasoned muscians are capable of. The album will etch itself on your soul and leave you falling in a dream world created by poetic, but very audible, lyrics. There is not a bad or below-par track on this album, each track fitting with each other perfectly. Phoenix is the stand out track; imagine being tossed around by a storm of strings, bass and drums, all held together by a voice that expresses so much with so little effort. Inga's voice is a fresh sound that is crying to be heard; this ablum will not disappoint."
[Benjamin Chinnock, The Brag Magazine]

"Latin-American dancing.
It was the furthest thing from my mind as Elk slid from my hands, through my hi-fi, into my conscience. Hypnotically fading in from black with Film Noir, the opening track, Inga Liljestršm sets the scene for the next one hour using the language of film and Latin dance. Sydney-based Inga Liljeström might be familiar as the guest vocalist on innumerable records from the likes of Gerling, Friendly, Itch-E & Scratch-E, Ens, and d.i.g. But Liljestršm is more than a jobbing session vocalist, having now written and programmed two albums. With her production skills she is certainly updating the term "singer-songwriter" for the 21st century. As the textures and pulses of trip-hop envelop the soundscape, the comparisons to the voice of Björk, the lo-fi musings of Portishead, and the lush cinematic washes of Goldfrapp's debut album are inevitable. But while Goldfrapp have moved towards a more pumpin' synth-based sound with their latest album, Liljeström makes use of the six-piece band that she has assembled. The picked guitar arpeggio in All Of This is arresting in its simplicity, and already feels like I've known it a lifetime. Liljeström's caressing delivery here tells a story more powerfully than the lyric itself. One of the most engaging and evocative tracks is Diamond Horseshoe, reigniting the flame of old Hollywood music that has long since faded from our screens. Very convincing as the theme to a lost James Bond film, the addition of Peter Miller's forlorn whistling again recalls a certain duo from Bath, England. Shifting film genres to perhaps the introspective Western, 29 Poisons opens on a Spanish guitar melody that is bathed in the aesthetics of both Morricone and Villa-Lobos. Liljeström's voice again adapts to a track that takes its cues from another interesting source. There's a range of other songs waiting to discovered on this album. Phoenix, currently on Triple J rotation, is an excursion into electronica where programmed beats and reversed samples are rounded off with double bass. Lira is also captivating with its magical rhythm and intriguing samples. A very diverse album that is sure to sound and feel different on multiple listenings. Just let your mood guide the way."
[SidKid, InTheMix]

"Bjork can take her latest album Medulla and shove it.
After worshipping the Icelandic vocal goddess for years, we need a new one. Enter home grown talent Inga Liljestrom. The songstress has the same breathless angst but without the abrasiveness. Elk's cinematic swoon will have you dancing in the dark and taking seductive bites from peaches, it's so sensual..."
[Cat Magazine]

"Inga Liljestrom is Australia's new, brilliant diva...
Her voice is strange and lovely, lilting and powerful. Her sound is evocative, it sets you to thinking, to listening to the voices in your head that remember, and wonder. She is also a wonderful arranger, programmer, composer and listener. If you pay very careful attention to her music, you can see that she has been listening, to that which is around her, to those strange notes that the night provides us all. But mostly you come back to that amazing voice. Comparisons have been made to Bjork or Lamb, but I say think Ricki Lee Jones if she studied Ella Fitzgerald. She is breathy and dynamic, using her pipes as a tool, as the instrument that they are. Maybe even more of the vitality of Janis Joplin, the emotional grit.... "
[Epinions Site - Read the full, extensive review here]

LIVE REVIEWS
(The Studio, Sydney Opera House with Ursula Rucker)
"The best thing I have seen all year"
"Inga Liljestrom [is] a singer I had been trying to catch properly for quite a while.
Caught her briefly singing for local electro/house act Ollo, then again only a fragment of her performance at Cockatoo Island. Opening with a solo, slow and mournfully wailing electric guitar against her unique voice, it shut the crowd up quick smart. Other people on stage played violin, cello, double bass, drum kit, trumpet, keys and other technologies, and some other brass instrument.....A mesmerizing performance, and something pretty special that possibly wouldn't work in typical live music venues because she casts a spell that is powerfully enchanting yet I imagine could easily be broken by drunken yobs talking too loudly at the back. Playing at a space like the Studio with a projector screen behind the stage displaying some new gothic/film noir footage is just about the perfect way to experience this. The easiest/laziest comparison to make for the sound of Inga Liljestrom would be the sound of Lamb when they are at their most emotionally intense, lots of strings and not much electronics, a strong focus on the vocals. The music may build up to a giant wall of noise, but it's never fast or with an electronic beat like a trip-hop/dance cross-over some may describe Lamb to be. Left the crowd gobsmacked... Inga Liljestrom stole the show." [FullReview]

(June 2007, The Vanguard, Sydney)
"I have a confession to make.
I used Inga Liljestrom to further my romantic life. Perhaps it was her lush jazz-tinged voice that did it, as it swirled daintily amongst the chord of a double bass. Perhaps it was her mystique of her songs, flowing from her body with the aches and sighs of an impassioned woman. Whatever it was had me quickly running to the corridor between songs to send off a text message to an unsuspecting acquaintance, my mind helpless with longing and desire. This was not my first Inga Liljestrom concert - indeed, this was the third time I had seen her perform at The Vanguard in recent years - nor was it the first time her music had had this effect. Always been one of Australia's great unappreciated musical acts, she is a hark back to the glory days of Portishead and other late-night modern greats, but possessing an earthy soul. There is a track from her... album Elk with the title Film Noir - a description the accurately sums up her musical essence. More an aural soundscape that a standard pop singer, she constructs songs of light and shadow; of mystery and revelation. 'Tori Amos meets Emily the Strange' summed up my concert-going companion, aptly. Playing songs from her small but satisfying collection of albums, she showed her musical diversity: bringing out a ukulele one moment, and frequently - and somewhat inexplicably - singing into a large red telephone. While Liljestrom writes poetically and evocatively, it was ultimately her voice - especially in the intimate live setting of the Vanguard - that captivated. From a throaty growl, her jazz vibrato crawled upwards and ultimately shimmered into the air with a whisper. A whisp of black smoke perhaps, seen and then gone. While it would be fantastic to see Inga Liljestrom eventually gain the wider recognition she deserves, there is something magical about seeing her in these intimate settings. The Newtown-going crowd certainly agreed, eventually filling every available seat and standing room, begging for an encore - yearning for just that tiny bit more. Yearning for that final taste of our desire-inducing little secret.
[Blake Burger, SameSame.com.au]

"There are many whispers and a
sense of anticipation as Inga Liljestrom's band - the bassist, double bass player, violinist, cello player and the effects and soundscape DJ take the stage. Inga appears barefooted, wearing a hippyish style sparkly red dress and half of her long wavy hair tied into a small bun. The double bass solely begins playing, and Inga starts weaving her magic, confidently beginning their performance tonight by singing All of This. By midway through the first song, I know that this is going to be one of the best performances I have ever seen in my life. I try to hold back tears of overwhelming joy as Inga begins exquisitely and softly moving about on stage. Her graceful body and celestial voice weave in and out of the music, she uses her delicate hands to express the dynamics of her voice, and she is completely at one with her fellow, extremely talented and illuminating band members. It is an amazing sight to behold such a passionate and elegant lady, so entranced, and moved by her band's brilliantly composed sounds. Amongst the array of songs Inga perform tonight include Phoenix, Glow, Stardust, 29 Poisons, Bullet and Deer. Each song is as brilliantly executed as the next, the alluring melodies flowing and cascading down onto and amongst each other, as if each rhythm, melody, lyric and soundscape is all the ingredients of a hypnotising potion, gradually filling up and up until it beings flowing over the edges whilst Inga's seductive and enchanting vocals literally soar vocally and emotionally to places I have never experienced via music before. I really never want this show to end, and for the first time I take my eyes away from Inga and her band to witness the audience's reaction and response, and I can see every single eye completely in awe, transfixed by the divine beauty occurring before us all. Sadly, the show has to end and a distinct feeling of pleasure, privilege and pure delight of being able to experience something as special, rare and magical as this show manifests in the room." [FasterLouder.com.au]

"Inga Liljestrom... kicked off with a great soulful trip hop vocal tune.
The band accompanying Inga was amazing and consisted of some very talented musicians on guitar, drums,Êtwo on stringsÊand a double bass. The general sound was great live and was given further depth by the excellent use of effects (even on the drums) which worked very well in combination with Inga's powerful voice. The tracks ranged from very vocal focussed toÊreally rocking trip hop tracks which conveyed a lot of energy and emotion. Some of the audience members even got up and partook in a little bit of a dance throughout some of the tracks. Overall, it was a fantastic performance"
[InThe Mix]