Maria Palmqvist has a very impressive pedigree. She holds a bachelor’s degree (and a master’s degree!) in improvisation from the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg. She has toured and collaborated with numerous orchestras and ensembles as well as appearing on television, and – in collaboration with the production company Stagebird – created the live concert program “Nog Hade Jag Drömmar”. Phew!
Drawing inspiration from the improvisational allusions of jazz, the pure harmonies of classical music, and the structural elements of pop music, Unlove Me is Maria’s second full-length album. She says that it is a journey through light and darkness, distilled through love – or rather – through unlove.
“Hymn For Haniel” – The opening track is a short one, setting the mood for what’s to come. Theatrical and cinematic breathy flutes and ethereal strings swirl and flutter like wind through the trees. It’s a warm, earthy, evocative start.
“Unlove Me” – Maria’s vocal arrives like a celestial spirit. It’s a beautifully simple, elegant arrangement: This is just piano, strings, and a voice, and each is treated with a subtlety that means they drip from the speakers like warm honey. The heartbreaking lyrics deal with someone consumed by self-loathing and doubt. There’s a depth to the tone of Maria’s vocal which delivers the haunting melody in an effortlessly powerful way.
“Mayfly” – I really loved the tactile sound here, with the hammers of the piano and the intimate feel of Maria’s vocal. Strings are ever present in the background, feeling so vibrant and rich. The melody here is stunning, a repeating motif that feels like an unforgettable discovery. Maria reaches for the heavens, hitting such dizzying high notes that I almost got a nosebleed! Get ready for your heart to break when you hear these poignant lyrics about the fleeting nature of life. This is my favourite track on the album, and it’s going straight into my VOCALS playlist!
Even if we fight
Life is a Mayfly
One day we may fly
High on the other side
“Darkness” – The first drums of the album appear, and they don’t disappoint: Pounding a steady, solemn marching beat, they transported me to a medieval castle under an angry sky. The song gradually opens up and builds into a screaming, theatrical crescendo of epic proportions. Throughout it all, it remains crisp and precise. The title is apt here, too; the relatively concise lyrics are steeped in existential despair.
“Ember” – The warmth continues to radiate from this album like the gentle glow of a campfire, and here we have another angelic vocal to savour. This is a restrained, controlled power which will paint a picture in your mind. Every lyric is crystal clear (an unusual treat these days!), adding a heightened connection to each song. I found the soaring notes genuinely affecting.
Perhaps revived
In the arms of a friend
In the solemn serenity of time
The ending of our time
“Ah, Sunflower” – The melody pierces the air like a frozen arrow. I could feel the space around the song; I was transported right there. Rounded sounds hum and resonate; strings, then guitar. The song seems to live and breathe, rising and falling as Maria’s devastating vocal reaches new powerful heights. The tortured falsetto almost breaks with emotion as she sings lyrics which are formed from the William Blake poem of the same name. This one finished too soon for me!
And the pale virgin shrouded in snow
Arise from their graves and aspire
Where my Sun-flower wishes to go
“Hope” – As the title suggests, the final full track on the album finishes things on a positive note – sort of. I loved the bright, cavernous piano in the intro, as well as the light melody. There’s still weight here though – a gravitas that informs each song – and lyrics that have pain as well as hope.
“Outro” – The album is bookended with shorter, atmospheric tracks; cinematic pieces that give a real sense of story and drama. This simple piano piece feels a little more jazzy, with its spiraling melodies and beautiful warm tones.
Some albums just feel different. They create their own world, where each song reveals a new landscape for us to inhabit and explore. On Unlove Me, every track is elegant and ethereal in its own way. They sound simple at first, but reveal depths of melody and tone that will instantly transport you to wonderful new places.
Here, the arrangements are never more than two or three (real) instruments at a time, which means it feels organic, earthy, and honest. That’s great, of course, but it would mean nothing without incredible songs. Thankfully Unlove Me is brimming with beauty and atmosphere. Less is truly more here: There is so much power in restraint, and things are often stripped back to the mere essence of the song.
This stark, brooding world will draw you in until you find yourself fully immersed in it. Dark at times, yet always beautiful, Unlove Me builds a world that feels both vast and intimate: A bright world filled with shadows. Take a listen below.
Written by Grubby
