Kanel – Marie Dahlstrom

Any record that lands on the review pile with a note saying, “perfect for wine and dancing” obviously gets fast-tracked to the very top and in the case of Kanel it was exactly the right thing to do. Trivia fans will note that the title is the Danish rendition of the Corsican name Canelle where it was recorded, and which in French means Cinnamon wonderfully reflecting the mix of spice and heady sonic aromas found within this five song suite.

Wonderful layers of smooth harmony and infectiously sultry soulfulness

Ask About Me acts as the perfect opening sonic salvo, a slick blend of upbeat groove and hazy, late night vibes, the sweet spot between chill-out and boogie, the point, as we were forewarned, where wine and dancing meet. Wonderful layers of smooth harmony and infectiously sultry soulfulness are the order of the day and tell you everything that you need to know about the musical journey Kanel then embarks on.

The real joy of Marie Dahlstrom’s music is that it seems to do so many things at once without ever seeming to do anything much at all, which is the epitome of gracefulness I guess. Songs seem to not follow the age old conformity of being the upbeat one or the chilled one, the loud one or the mellow one, but embrace all those qualities simultaneously either by seamlessly shifting the dynamic focus throughout the song or by threading danceable energy through soulful and gossamer-light soundscapes. Let It Go is the perfect example of this, as skittering beats lift dream-soul sounds so that the song hangs somewhere between gentle groover and hushed ballad and Northern Lights is the perfect way to round things off, an exercise in understatement and restraint.

It isn’t too much to say that Kanel is a gorgeous collection of songs and indeed perfect for wine and dancing…and chilling, and socialising, and listening to on your own, as night time lullabies and as music to start the day to, to party to and to wind down too…in fact I can’t think of a single moment of your day when putting this record on wouldn’t enhance the moment beyond measure.